Against All Odds
by TDBigJ1213
Summary: After sixteen years of not seeing Ash, Serena, now 26, finally sees him for the first time since then. She still has a crush on him but is still unable to tell him. Ash, also 26, is Pokémon World Champion, has two kids: a son and a daughter, but is divorced. Can the two be able to become a potential couple, or will roadblocks keep them from having a future together? Amourshipping.
1. Are You Ready

**TDBigJ's message:** Hey, hey, hey! Look whose back? Man, those seven weeks flew by. Actually, they kind of didn't. But who cares about that? I doubt you guys do. How has it been for you guys for the last month and a half? I'm curious to know, and I'm dead serious about it. It seems that within the time between when Love You Now, Love You Always ended and now, a lot has happened. The Olympics came and gone, The NFL season began (YAY! Go Eagles and Seahawks!), and I applied for a couple of jobs (No calls back yet). Well, looks like I'm back with an all new story and personally, I like the idea of this story. Normally I wouldn't like the idea of writing a story of characters when they are adults if they aren't already. We all know they are kids but this idea popped up into my head one day and I couldn't refuse the idea of making this into a story so I just had to do it. With the XY/Z series wrapping up (Which makes me sad) but the Sun and Moon anime on the horizon, I thought I would get this story going while Ash's Kalos journey is still going on. Not like it matters but you know. I'm actually excited for the new anime and I look forward to watching it. But the thing that raises an eyebrow is that they changed the animation style a bit and Ash looks pretty different in the new anime. Plus, he's not going on another journey but instead going to school. That idea doesn't bother me as it's something different but the thought that Ash's appearance is altered from what it was before definitely is quite a move. How I would describe his new look is how I would describe how Serena looked when she cut her hair: It makes him look younger. But that's just my opinion. Anyway, I've been going on long enough. I bet you guys are just shaking in your seat wanting to get to the story. Luckily, since this is the first chapter, there won't be responding to reviews (For those of you who have read my stories before). And just like with Love You Now, Love You Always, I'm going to be naming chapters after a song, but with this story, it will be after titles of AC/DC songs. And plus, I'll be leaving quotes again at the end of each chapter just like with the aforementioned story, but I'll include quotes from video games this time around. And one more thing, for that guest with the request, I am so sorry that it's not out yet, I totally blitzed it. It will be out soon I promise. Maybe in the next week or so. I promise I will not let you down, that's the last thing I want to do to you. Okay sorry, I'm wasting your time again. So let's get this going. Here is Against All Odds.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and… whoever else.**

It had been a few days since the end of the Kalos League and Ash was soon to leave the region. Ash had a stellar performance in the Kalos League but ended up losing in the finals to his rival Alain. His friends were saddened by his loss but were happy he got so far, and Ash was proud of himself for getting that far and had little to no disappointment. Why should he be? It had been the best he performed in a league to date, beating his semifinal appearance in Sinnoh. But all in all, he was all happy, and he had every right to.

It was time for the plane to depart, so Ash had to finish up his goodbyes. He had already said it to Clemont and Bonnie, so there was one other person he had yet to say it to: His childhood friend Serena.

"Well, I guess it's time for me to go. It was great meeting up with you again. I'll keep in touch." Ash stated.

"Yeah, I will too." Serena replied in a depressed tone.

"Don't worry, I'll be all right. You take care, okay?"

After Ash said that, he turned the other way and started to walk towards the plane, only to be stopped by Serena from behind as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Please stay. I don't want you to leave." She said, tears starting to form up in her eyes.

Ash released from her grip and turned around and put his hands on her shoulders. "I want to stay too. But I've got another journey ahead of me and I don't want to miss out on it."

"But, I'll miss you so much. I don't want to be separated from you again like when we were kids." She said as tears started running down her cheeks.

"I don't want to either. But I promise one hundred percent that I'll keep in contact."

This only caused more tears to run down her face faster. Ash took his hands and wiped them from her cheeks, only for them to be replaced immediately. Ash soon moved his hands from her face to her shoulders and looked directly into her eyes.

"I completely promise you that I'll contact you every so often and promise that once I'm done in the next region that I'll come visit you here in Kalos. Is that okay?"

Serena was fine with that idea but the expression on her face didn't change. "Okay." She said quietly to the point that only Ash heard her.

Ash smiled and pulled her into a hug, which caught her by surprise. She slowly wrapped her arms around his back and looked down at the ground. Him hugging her made her feel a little bit happy but thought about the fact that this would be the last time she would touch him for a while, which was a depressing thought. After a hug that lasted about a minute, Ash let go and made eye contact with her again.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye. I promise that I'll contact you every so often. I'll see you soon." He said and turned around and walked away, turning his face back towards the others and raising his hand in the air to signal goodbye. Clemont and Bonnie raised their hands back at him in return but Serena didn't. She didn't have the heart to. She lifted her head back up and saw him as he and Pikachu walked towards their plane.

This was the last time she was going to see him for a long time, and it wasn't going to be easy getting used to the fact it was happening again.

 **Present day**

She laid in her bed, looking up at the ceiling, thinking that moment over and over again, replaying it as she felt like it was only yesterday, but in reality it had been 16 years.

Yep. In fact, it had been 16 years since she last saw him. Serena was now a twenty six year old woman and not much had happened in her life since she was ten. When he last left her, the words that he said that rang so much in her head…

 _"_ _I promise that I'll contact you every so often."_

She remembered that line like it was part of a movie script. The sad part of that line he said before he left that day… is that he never kept true to his word. He hadn't contacted her once since then. Not one phone call, not one text message, not one email, nothing. She was disappointed about it, but she was in no way mad at him for it, just saddened. She kind of blamed herself for that too, she didn't contact him either. She felt that she had to make the first move in order for him to respond, but she never got the courage, which is why she blamed herself for it. She didn't know whether to blame herself completely for it, most of it, or half. She didn't want to blame him for anything but she should for some of it. He could have kept his promise to her that he would keep in contact with her but not doing it even one time throughout six years seemed very disappointing to her.

She flashed back to the moment he left her. It was seriously the WORST moment of her life. Her crush leaving her sight for the second time within a few years and not seeing him again for a long time was painful to her, but seeing as it's been over a decade and a half since they last made contact, every waking moment she didn't see him or even heard from him felt like numerous seconds of her life were being taken away, seconds she could never get back.

When he left her that day, she had never gotten the guts to tell him her true feelings, that she liked him more than a friend. And she was mad at herself about it. So many opportunities throughout their journey and not once she could get her inner feelings to come out that the boy always seemed so dense to know about. She wondered if she ever did tell him, what his response would be. He probably wouldn't know, by either little knowledge on the subject, or clueless on the whole idea of romance, or both for that matter. But she was older now, so if she saw him again, she would definitely reveal to him how she felt towards him. But now, that would be a waste of time, because of one thing…

He was already married.

Yep, your ears are not deceiving you. Ash, the incredibly dense kid who knew nothing about romance and love, had a few years ago gotten married and within that time had two kids, a son and a daughter. Serena had seen his wife (No, it's not Miette if that's what you're thinking), and she no doubt was a gorgeous woman but he was so caring and due to the fact that he was Pokemon world champion, what girl wouldn't want to marry him? Men wanted to be him and women wanted to have his children. The man was an icon worldwide and was truly meant to be. Serena thought that Ash was downright stunning now as a grown man. His appearance had changed only the slightest in sixteen years but what he looked right now made Serena's heart melt and almost made her want to faint, but she was just one of many.

She wished that she had told him while she had the chance. After Ash's plane had taken off back towards Kanto, Serena's stance didn't even change but her willing to talk did. After Bonnie wondered and asked Serena why she was down, she ended up complaining to her why she never told Ash she loved him. Serena didn't blame Bonnie for being upset, as on the last legs of their journey Serena found out that Bonnie and Clemont knew she liked Ash and the little girl wanted the two of them to become a thing. She knew that Clemont was also disappointed (Which he was) but he didn't want to make a scene and not make Serena feel any worse than she already was and dragged Bonnie away with his Aipom arm and gave her a talking to.

It was 1:32 in the morning and Serena had been in bed for the last couple hours but had trouble falling asleep due to her thinking about everything. So much had happened in Ash's life in sixteen years but hardly anything happened in hers. Of course she kept on practicing with her Pokemon every now and then. She didn't ever feel like entering a showcase again as she felt like she was too old to do so, plus, that part of her life was come and gone. She wanted to focus on something else now but didn't know what. She could become a battler like Ash, or she could enter contests that she had heard about. She knew that Ash had female friends in the past do contests and they were almost like showcases but had a bit of battling which was different from the showcases that she was used to when she was younger, but she wasn't objected to the idea of doing that at some point. She would like to expand, but that had to be thought about later.

Back to the subject at hand, in the last sixteen years, Ash had grown, as a person and a trainer. Things he didn't know that much about when he was ten he had better knowledge of today. Serena really wanted to meet up with Ash again and see how much he changed through time, physically, mentally, emotionally, etc. She was itching to know, and, who this wife of his was. What kind of person was she? And also, his kids. She saw his kids via a picture of them on the internet. They were adorable little kids. His daughter was five and his son was four so of course they were adorable. Serena really wished she was Ash's first love, but that title would be forever to his wife. Serena thought that she had been awake pondering this for a while and turned off the lamp next to her bed and pulled up the covers over her. As she closed her eyes, she wondered if she would ever have her chance with Ash: The boy she loved to the moon and back. Who knows if Serena ever would. Only time will tell.

But little did she know, something happened some time ago that she didn't hear about.

The following morning, the sun shined through the window of Serena's room. Since her blinds were open she almost got blinded by the bright light. She started to open her eyes but immediately closed them again as the light brought a small but burning pain to her eyes only just after opening them slightly. She brought her right hand out from under the covers and put it out in front of her face to reduce the glare from the sun.

"Man, I should've closed the blinds last night." Serena said to herself as the burning pain still riddled inside her eyelids. She pulled the covers off of her and got up while still keeping her eyes closed and hand still in front of it. She got up and walked over to the blinds and closed them so she could finally open them again, much to her delight. She rubbed her eyes to rid them of the stinging. Her Pokemon Sylveon (Yes she still has Sylveon) awoke from it's sleep and saw it's owner in her just awakened state. A bright light never woke up Sylveon, not even if it was searing. It was used to this kind of thing as it has been living with it's owner for many years. That was the thing with Serena's Pokemon, they never awoke from anything that didn't come in contact with them, if it wasn't a human, other Pokemon, or random object they didn't awake from it. Serena on the other hand, anything woke her up, no matter what it was. You could even slide your fingers across her skin and she would be jarred awake from it. She bent down and stroked Sylveon's head which it purred in return.

She went into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair had been frizzled and ruffled from her constant turning throughout the night. She admitted she had a worse bed head than anybody, people she knew or people in general. Especially with the way she had worn her hair.

Serena's hair had stayed the same since she was ten. It was still as short as it was when she cut it when she was in Coumarine City when she was on her journey with Ash when she was younger. Sure it had started growing again but when it started to get long she would get it cut off back to her normal short length. She liked her hair this short. She wanted to keep it short for now but the idea of growing it long again was not off the table. She wouldn't mind having it mid back length like for most of her childhood but for the time being she was keeping it shoulder length.

She looked back into her room and checked the clock. It read 8:42. She thought she would get her day started. So she went to turn the nozzle to the shower and turned it on and got the rest prepared before she got in.

Twenty minutes later she had finished taking a shower, getting dressed and getting her hair dried and curled. Her appearance hadn't much changed either in sixteen years. She still looked the same. The only thing that she really changed in that time was her attire. She didn't wear the red and pink, the boots, or the fedora anymore. She didn't really want to dress like that anymore. If people found out that she had been wearing the same outfit from when she was a kid they would find her pathetic, and she didn't want that.

Nowadays, she wore plain blue jeans, a pink long sleeve shirt (not one similar to the one she wore back then), and grey sneakers. She wore earrings a lot more now. She would wear a necklace but she didn't have one. Basically every aspect of her outfit had changed, but there was one thing that actually hadn't changed…

The blue ribbon.

Yes it's true. The blue ribbon that she had gotten from Ash in Coumarine City she still had… and still wore every day. Every morning when she got dressed she had to tie the blue ribbon the same way she had worn for a long time. Literally every day since the end of her journey she had worn the ribbon. She didn't skip one day. That's how much the ribbon still meant to her. It was the most meaningful item she owned because it came from someone she cared about deeply, even to this day. She never wanted to forget about it. Not now, not ever!

She had sprayed some perfume on her but didn't put any makeup on. She usually didn't wear any because she had nothing to cover up. It was one thing she did differently than other girls. She didn't want to be one of those girls that put so much make up so they could deceive other people into thinking she looked flawless. Serena didn't like putting a lot of effort into how she looked. She just kept her appearance simple and so far it worked out for her. Serena didn't like how most girls would wear so much makeup, jewelry, and/or fashionable clothes just so they could reel in a cute guy and only like him for that. Most people these days (guys and girls) only dated people who were attractive looks wise, not because they were attractive personality wise. It irritated her. You should like someone based off of their inner traits rather than their outside, but most people were idiots to not think otherwise. With most people it was: "Either you're hot, or it's a no." Just the thought made Serena infuriated on the inside and made her want to get her point across to those people.

That thought came across her mind. When it came to her crush on Ash, she didn't like him because he was attractive, she liked how he was kind and selfless towards others and Pokemon. To her that was why she liked him so much. Sure, she did think he was cute but that was the last reason why she harbored feelings towards him.

Once she was done she went back into her room and saw that her Pokemon were still asleep. She didn't want to awake them so she let them rest away. That was what they did most of the time. Almost every day they would still be sleeping when she was done getting herself ready for the day. They would sometimes stay in their slumber until eleven but she was not one to pry. She was fair.

She went into the kitchen and made herself some coffee. While it was preparing she went to her front window and opened the blinds. Luckily this window wasn't on the same side of the apartment as the one in her room so the sun didn't shine as bright as it did a half hour ago when she awoke. She went over to the corner of the counter and picked up her phone and checked if she received any messages overnight. Not one. Not one call either.

Over the past decade and a half she had met and became friends with pretty much all of Ash's former travelling companions. The ones she usually talked to and spent time with were Misty, Dawn, Brock, and Cilan. They had told her their opinions of Ash and what impact he had on them and they were all remarkable. She guessed that she wasn't the only one Ash put a lot of influence on when he was trying to achieve his dream.

When Serena went out and started to live life on her own when she was eighteen, she moved back to her home region of Kanto and hometown of Pallet. She missed living here prior to her and her mom moving to Kalos when she was little. It was her true home, and she wanted to move back here immediately when she got her first opportunity. It was the place her life started and more importantly it was the place she met Ash, hence the time he helped her in the forest at Professor Oak's Summer Camp as a little girl.

She just wondered what else Ash was up to these days, besides the fact he was married and had a family. Him being the Pokemon World Champion meant that he had a lot of challengers wanting their shot at taking him on. But every time he had a challenger (Which was quite often), he would easily beat them. I mean, not even a close battle. It was by a landslide. Most battles he won 6-1 or 6-2 or even a complete shutout. On occasion he would have a 6-3 victory but that was as far as anyone had gotten close to beating him. He wasn't World Champion for no reason. Even members of the Elite Four from every region came by once in a while and challenged him but even THEY couldn't beat him, although they came closer than a usual trainer. Most of them got as far losing 6-4 but no farther, he was just that good. Good wasn't even enough to describe him, "phenomenal" was the exact definition. Serena knew for sure that his wife was proud to be married to such a man and his kids were fascinated for him to be their father. How many kids can say: "My dad is the world's greatest Pokemon master!" Or "My dad is Pokemon World Champion!" Serena couldn't help but feel a bit jealous, in the good way, if there even was a good kind of jealous.

A lot of his success came from his dedicated work as a trainer when he was young. During his journeys across all regions there were a few things that he could do that a lot of other trainers couldn't do or dream of doing. Making top 16 in his first league attempt, becoming Orange League champion, conquering the Battle Frontier, being the only one that beat Tobias' Darkrai in the Sinnoh League, you name it. He didn't accomplish everything but he did a lot of the difficult tasks that came towards him wherever he went.

Another thing she wondered was if he kept in contact with his other friends throughout the years. Did he keep in touch with Clemont and Bonnie? Did he with May, Max, and Iris? Tierno, Shauna, Trevor, Alain? Who? If he did with all of them, she would be saddened because she would have been the odd one out, but if there was at least one, just one, that he didn't or rarely did, she would be okay, but she was not one to be judgmental.

She had poured herself a cup of coffee and grasped the mug with both of her hands and took a drink. She had to wait for the buzz to kick in a little later. Coffee wasn't her favorite drink but it got her through the day most of the time, as for most people. She walked over to the coffee table next to the couch and turned on the tv.

As she took another drink of coffee, she thought over what she would do today. She thought that going to the park and walking around it would soothe her nerves. All this thinking about Ash was clouding up her mind and as much as she liked thinking about him, she wanted to avoid overdoing it, as sometimes she would lose focus or forget what she was thinking about prior to that. It wasn't often but she still thought about it.

As she watched the usual morning programming, she thought she would check up on her Pokemon in her room. She went in the doorway and saw that they were still asleep. She smiled and shook her head as she went back to sit down.

Her Pokemon had hardly showed any signs of aging as she lived with them. Even though she had them for sixteen years but they still performed well when she trained with them. They were human in a sort of way. And she also had them out of their Pokeballs almost all the time. When she was home or training with them they stayed out which was basically almost the whole day. The only time she had them in their Pokeballs was when she brought them out with her in public and didn't want anything happening to them, not like anything ever did but it's better safe than sorry.

A thought popped up in her mind. Besides Ash, she wondered how Pikachu was these days. She had almost forgotten about the small electric mouse she got so attached to on her journey. She knew that Ash still had him as he was his best friend and she saw Pikachu battling with Ash on tv in various battles that he participated in. She had a lot of good memories with Pikachu as well as Ash. She remembered the time during their journey when Ash caught a fever and she dressed in his clothes and fought alongside Pikachu. That was one of her favorite moments throughout her journey.

A good hour passed and she was growing bored inside her apartment. Most of the good shows on tv in the morning had passed and there was hardly anything good on. So she thought that she would gather her Pokemon and go out to the park that she thought about going to earlier. She grabbed her Pokeballs from her nightstand, woke up all her Pokemon, and put them back in their respective Pokeballs and she got the other things she needed and headed off.

When she got to the park there were many other people there, most with their Pokemon, either doing activities or just simply training them. Luckily the park had a gorgeous waterfall in the middle and she walked over to that and sat down on the edge that a few other people were sitting on. Once she sat down she took out her three Pokeballs and sent out her three Pokemon. Once they were out, they realized where they were and revealed happy expressions. But before they could roam free, Serena stopped them.

"Hold on. Go where you want but not to where I can't see you. Don't bug other people unless they come up to you, and lastly, when it's time to go, I will come and get you and we'll get going home. You all understand?" Serena explained. All three Pokemon cheered in agreement and walked off to wherever they were going. Serena wasn't going to just sit here the whole time, so she got up and walked around to see what else was going on around there. Plus, she wanted to keep a close eye on her Pokemon just in case one of them got out of hand. They never really did but you never know.

Ten minutes later she wandered around the park, all the while keeping an eye out for her Pokemon and made sure they didn't go anywhere she didn't want them to. They were well behaved but things could happen out of nowhere.

Suddenly Serena's phone vibrated and she checked it. Apparently Dawn had texted her. The text was nothing special, it was just asking what she was up to. Serena replied with just a simple text and put her phone back in her right pocket. A few moments later it vibrated again and this time the text was something that piqued Serena's interest.

 _"_ _Did you hear that Ash is back in Kanto?"_

Serena was surprised to hear of this. Ash had been travelling in the other regions for a couple of months now and it seemed like he had just returned. Ash himself also lived in Kanto, more specifically in Pallet. Serena had a lot of chances to see him since she lived here too but due to the fact she had no idea where he lived and plus he was almost always away from home doing his work as World Champion taking on all challengers and doing a seminar once in a while. Luckily most of the time he had his family go with him so at least he included them in his success.

 **"** **Really? When did he get back?"** She texted back.

 _"_ _Just last night. He just got back from going around Sinnoh for a couple of weeks."_

Serena was excited to hear that he had returned. She heard about every time he left to another region or face a trainer that wanted to challenge him. Seeing him around though was next to squat. On the plus side, she at least got to see him in action on tv and through news on the internet, so it wasn't a total loss.

She once again put her phone back in her pocket and resumed walking around the park. She was in brighter spirits now that she heard Ash was back in Pallet. Maybe she could actually see him again, oh how she cherished that thought. Suddenly, she heard a child scream. She didn't know whether it was in agony or in excitement. She looked over to her right about fifty yards away. She saw Sylveon in front of another kid. Serena immediately took action and walked over to the kid but stopped in her tracks as soon as she started when the kid started petting Sylveon and Sylveon enjoying the moment as the kid happily stroked it's fur. Serena sighed in relief and wiped her forehead realizing it wasn't a problem that was occurring. She continued walking towards the scene and approached her Pokemon. The kid, a boy, looked up at her while continuing to pet Sylveon.

"Oh hey, is this your Pokemon miss?" He asked.

"Yes, it's mine." She replied.

"I hope I'm not doing anything wrong. Sorry if I am." He stated.

"Oh it's perfectly fine. I have no problem with it. As long as nothing is going wrong, it's okay." Serena explained, telling the boy that it wasn't an issue with her.

"What Pokemon is it?" He asked.

"It's a Sylveon. I've had her since I was ten." She responded.

"Oh, isn't Sylveon one of the many evolutions of Eevee?"

"Yes it is. I had an Eevee initially but it evolved into Sylveon not long after I got her." She explained.

"Hey, I feel like I've seen you before." He stated. "But I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Where have you seen me? Maybe I could help you."

"I've seen you on tv a few ti- OH! Now I know. You used to be a Pokemon Performer from a long time ago." He exclaimed.

"How did you know that? I haven't been in a showcase in sixteen years." Serena asked, surprised he knew about her.

"My mom has been into Pokemon Performing since she was twelve. She has watched every Pokemon showcase in the last twenty years. And she has recorded all of them too and my mom showed me one from a long time ago and I remember you were one of the performers. The one with the short honey blonde hair and had a Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon. I'm surprised I was able to meet you." He explained.

"Oh my gosh, that's amazing! I didn't think anyone would remember me from that. You're into Pokemon Performing?" She asked.

"Only watching it. I'm into everything Pokemon related, whether it's leagues, contests, or showcases, or anything else, I'm into it." He explained. "Your name was… let me think for a moment. It's Serena isn't it?"

"In fact it is. Good memory." Serena commented. Suddenly there was a whistle, which just so happened to be the boy's mom.

"That's my mom. I should get going. It was nice meeting you. I hope I can see you again soon, Serena. Goodbye." He said and ran off to go tell his mom who he just ran into. But before he could get far, Serena stopped him.

"Uh, excuse me for a moment. I didn't get your name." She called out.

"It's Troy. I'll see you later." He said and went back to running towards his mom.

That was the highlight of Serena's day. Well, besides hearing that Ash was back in town. Seeing as someone she didn't know remember what she did back when she was young was something to relish in. She wasn't famous or anything but it was nice to know that there was someone who respected her past.

She found all of her Pokemon and called them back into their Pokeballs and started her way back home. She didn't really have anything else to do for the rest of the day. But seeing as there were a couple of her highlights that happened in the last hour, it wasn't such a bad outing.

Once she got back to her apartment she flicked her tv on but went into her room and grabbed her laptop and logged herself in. She went on the internet and looked up the most recent news to see if anything about Ash's return home. And wouldn't you know, there was. There were a couple of reports that he had set foot back in Kanto and many people were excited about it. A smile crept across her face and looked up at the ceiling. She didn't stay on her laptop for long as she just wanted to know if there was anything newsworthy. She went back out to the main room and sat down on the couch. Her spirits were brightened a bit. Today was nowhere near the best day of her life but it was a good one.

That best day of her life was going to happen someday, she just didn't know when yet.

 **Author's note:** And… BAM! There is the first chapter. I honestly think it went well. But that's just my opinion. What did you guys think? Sorry if you thought it was boring, but a first chapter I make for any story is usually a build up chapter or a simple chapter to start things off. The first chapter IMHO doesn't need to be a big chapter or have anything major happen. Most writers usually do that when they write a book. I mean, have nothing big happen is what I mean. But one thing you should do is hint something that could let your readers know what is going to happen throughout the course of the story. Of course, the summary before you click on it will tell you but you will find out as you read the first couple of chapters. I hope you guys will have a good time as I've said before I really like the idea of this story. It will give me a whole new way to develop the characters a bit. And if you read my first couple of stories you know what my next step is. If you guessed that I'll spoil the rest of the story, you're dead wrong. It's the preview.

"So how are things these days?" Ash asked.

"Oh you know. I'm not really doing much. Since I don't really go on journeys anymore I kind of travel around here with my Pokemon and sometimes I train with them every so often." Serena explained. "So, I see you've been quite the busy one as of late, huh?"

"Yeah. It's a lot of work but it's well worth it. One pro is that I decide what I can do whenever I want. Sometimes I'm offered opportunities by others and I have the decision of accepting or declining them. I pretty much accept them because I always like a good challenge, plus I like giving chances to others." He explained.

"Well, you love what you're doing, huh?"

"Yep. Have you decided what you want to do now that you're older?" Ash asked.

"No, I haven't. There really isn't something I want to do nowadays. But I'm fine with it." She answered.

"Come on, there's got to be something you're interested in doing."

"I'll take some time to think about it." Serena replied. "So how long will you be in town?"

"I thought that I would take a few weeks off to settle down a bit. Since I've been going abroad for a couple of months, I've actually been wanting to sit back and relax for some time. It's been pretty hectic."

"Where do you live these days? I've heard you live in Pallet like I do but I never see you there." She asked.

"I live in a gray mansion up on a hill. And don't worry, not very many people visit me that much up there. But that apparently doesn't fend off the paparazzi." Ash stated with a giggle at the end. Serena couldn't help but giggle herself.

"Dad, where are you?" A voice said from out of sight.

"I'm over here, honey." Ash called out.

And from behind a wall of the nearest building came two little kids, a boy and a girl. They came running up to Ash and both of them grabbed each of his legs.

"Where did you go?" His daughter asked.

"That's what I should be asking you. Where did you two ninjas go? You two were next to me then one second, "poof" you're gone." Ash asked looking down at them.

"We must have turned invisible instead of becoming ninjas, daddy." His son joked. Ash and his two kids shared a laugh, with Serena giggling along.

"So daddy, who is this you're talking to?" His daughter asked.

Ash bent down so he was able to put both his arms around his children. "Remember my good friend Serena that I told you guys a lot about? This is her."

Serena was touched by the fact that he said he told them a lot about her. That part made her happy so apparently he didn't forget about her. She bent down as well to greet them.

"Serena, this is my daughter Bellamy and my son Tristan." Ash pointed out.

Serena reached out both her hands to the two kids. "It's really nice to meet you two."

But as for Bellamy and Tristan, they looked at Serena as a ray of hope. It seemed like she was someone that could have a chance with their father.

"Are you single?" Bellamy asked.

 **Author's note:** Whoa, that took a turn. What a way for the first preview to end. Where will things go from here? What are Tristan and Bellamy up to? Do I smell potential? Do I smell romance? Do I smell tacos? Am I going off subject? If I am, I'm going to dress up like the Joker and jump off a cliff. While I ponder this decision, I will write the next chapter and clear my mind of any stupidity. I will see you in a week. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **I thought I told you this was a one way trip?**

 **-Captain Price, Modern Warfare 2**


	2. Hard Times

**TDBigJ's message:** *Wakes up from sleep* Oh whoa, what? Where the hell am I? Oh yeah, that's right, I'm on fanfiction. The second chapter is here, huh? Wow, that week flew by (If I had a dime for every time I said that in my stories). Looks like this story is off to a good start. I'm glad to see that most of you who read one or both my stories are here reading this. You guys make me want to keep writing day in and day out. Like I said before, I'm really looking forward to writing this one. I think this is one of my best ideas to date. I really have nothing much else to say, so let's get to the responding of the reviews, but first, let me go get an Angry Orchard.

 **Espeon44:** Yes, there will be OCs. But I only have one or two planned throughout the story. Thanks for the review!

 **Wolves22 (Guest #1):** Glad you like it. Thanks for the review!

 **Oliverqueen01:** Thanks for welcoming me back. It's good to be back. Yes, a lot has happened in the last couple of months. A lot has happened in WWE as well. I'm happy that Becky Lynch is Smackdown women's champion. Believe it or not, she's my favorite female in the WWE because I see her as an underdog and I always love rooting for the underdog. Yeah, Finn Balor winning the Universal title then having to sacrifice it the following night sucked and it REALLY sucked that Kevin Owens won it. I'm pissed because of that. Yeah, I'm happy there is going to be a Sun and Moon series and I'm planning on watching that. You can't wait to see what follows? Well, you've got fourteen more chapters of it ahead of you so get ready for the ride. Thanks for the review!

 **Aboz567:** I'm glad you liked how I made Ash important to Serena and how I made Ash reach his full potential. I swear, I didn't think that would be easy. Ash definitely deserves to be one of if not the best trainers in the world. Yeah, I'm not trying to make Serena's sixteen years seem like they have been pathetic. I'll just tell you that she's not depressed, I wouldn't go that far. The farthest I'll go is just having her wish her life throughout that time could have been better. Don't worry, her growth as a person will change dramatically throughout the story. I've got a lot planned for this. If you're wanting to know, Ash's wife will end up being an OC because I really wouldn't want it to be a character from the anime as I want him to be good friends with everybody he's made an impact on during his journey when he was young. She will be in two or three chapters in the story. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** I'm sorry I made you sad. Yeah, there was a reason I had Bellamy ask that. You'll find out in a bit. Thanks for the review!

 **DoodleRose (Guest #2):** Don't worry, it'll continue on. Glad you love it! Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #3:** Yeah, I can understand why you're mad about Sun and Moon. Thanks for the continued support and I'll stay a true Amourshipper until I die. Oh and I just wanted to ask you something regarding the crossover fic. What do you want the title to be and how long do you want it to be so that way I can add more chapters to what I have done. Let me know, okay? Thanks for the review!

 **Darkaura808:** Thanks. I'm glad to be back. I'm a great author? Aw thanks. You just made my day. I hope you like this story because I personally think this is going to be one of my best stories. To answer your questions, no, Serena didn't become Kalos Queen. I'm wanting this story to be as canonical as it is to the anime with a few exceptions throughout. Ash's wife, you'll find out in this chapter. I won't describe her completely but I will do it fully through the course of the story. Thanks for the review!

 **Blizzard21:** Uh oh, I hope I didn't confuse you.

 **Guest #4:** It's the former. I wouldn't have Pikachu die. He will be appearing in this story just to let you know in case you were wondering. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #5:** Ha, glad you thought that was funny. That's what I try to do sometimes in my author's notes. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and… whoever else.**

Serena was sitting on her couch with Sylveon sleeping on the other side of the room. It was Saturday and she was sitting on her couch watching whatever popped up on her tv. She really had nothing to do today and she couldn't think of anything so what choice did she have? Training with her Pokemon was only an occasional duty, at least a once a week thing, never more than that.

She had gotten dressed but didn't put on her shoes as she really had nowhere to go. She usually did more on most days but today was different. When she ever had a day like today it was either because she had nothing to do or she chose not to do anything. It was more like the former but she didn't really mind if it was anything else.

Hitting 2:30 in the afternoon and she had been doing this since the moment she woke up and gotten dressed around nine this morning. To her, the past five and a half hours had been slow, half the shows she watched since then were boring or something she just wasn't into, or something she did like but had seen many times and wanted to waste no time right now watching it again.

Many of the people she had stayed friends with when she was ten still kept in contact with her. A few didn't. Clemont once every so often, Bonnie way more than her brother. Bonnie had kept in touch with Serena for the last sixteen years and was really the only one who did it on a constant basis. Bonnie had grown as well. She was only a few years younger than Serena and was now in her early twenties. A year or so ago she had started going out with Max. Max was a little nervous when Bonnie asked him out but learned he needed to be a man. If there was anything he learned from tugging Brock away from random girls a lot when he was little, how else would he start the next chapter of his life, and so far it was going very well for the two of them.

Serena was happy for all of her friends that were in a relationship, whether it was dating or being married. Not everyone was in a relationship though, May was single at this point mainly because she wasn't in the mood to date right now. On numerous occasions she thought she would go out with Drew since he grew nicer to her, but she didn't think he would accept. May was really the only one. Even Brock was in a relationship, he had been going out with Lucy for a while and they actually got engaged a few months back and were planning on marrying in five or six months, they hadn't decided. No one else was really married or engaged at this point, so Serena wasn't alone.

Throughout the years, all of her friends had asked her about Ash, wondering if she would ever see him again. Most of the time she replied just saying that she would hope so. She didn't know when, it wasn't set yet, because even a couple of them hadn't seen Ash at all or rarely ever did, so there was another thing where she wasn't alone.

The shows on tv were getting boring and Serena didn't really have anything to do so she got a blanket off the top of the couch and put it over her and she got in a sleeping position. She kept the tv on but turned down the volume and after putting the remote down, slowly closed her eyelids and drifted off to sleep.

A few hours later, Serena awoke from her slumber. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her left hand. As she tried to regain her vision since it was blurry after awakening, she turned on the info to her tv to check the time. It was 6:39 in the evening.

"Whoa, was I really out that long?" She said to herself. "I didn't expect to be out for four hours." She looked down at her three Pokemon, who were also sound asleep. "You guys must have gone out the same time I did. You guys seem to do that a lot."

A sound came from the other sound of the room, apparently from her laptop. She took the blanket off her and walked over and sat down in the chair and opened the laptop. It was Bonnie.

Serena rubbed the front of her face. "Hey Bonnie, how's it going?"

"Nothing much. I heard Ash was back there in Kanto. Are you excited?"

"Yeah. I guess so."

"What do you mean guess? You're in love with that boy, or should I say "man".

"I am, Bonnie."

"Come on. You've basically told everybody that you haven't seen him since he left Kalos when we were younger. I bet the only thing you want right now is to see him. Am I right?" Bonnie explained.

"Yeah, Bonnie, you are. Sort of. I wouldn't say the only thing." She stated. "I'd really wouldn't want to get into that right now. I'm not really in the mood."

"Suit yourself. Clemont and I actually saw him a month or so ago." Bonnie said.

"I know, you told me after he left."

"Yeah, I should have told you when he WAS here." Bonnie stated with a little bit of embarrassment evident in her voice.

"It's no big deal, Bonnie. I'm not going to scold you for it." Serena stated.

"Okay, but yeah, I should have told you when he was here. It would have given you the chance to see him. Anyway, is he there in Pallet? That part I don't know."

"Yeah he is. Maybe this could be the chance I'm looking for. I could bump into him somewhere, there's just that chance." She explained.

"Could be. Well, I've got to get going. Clemont has dinner ready and he wants me to come there immediately."

"Okay Bonnie, I'll talk to you again soon. Bye."

"Bye."

And with that, Serena closed the window and flipped down the top of her laptop. She sat there for a moment, thinking if something was going to happen anytime soon. She could only guess. There really wasn't much to think over. She thought that would be something to think about later, since she didn't want to over think it. She went back and sat down on her couch, letting the rest of the day go by.

The following morning after getting prepared for the day and having her morning coffee, Serena thought she would head out. She had a couple of things to do so she might as well go out while she had the time. Her Pokemon were still asleep but silently whispered to them that she would be out and about for a couple of hours. Luckily they awoke slightly so they got her message. After that, she went out the front door and locked it and headed off.

After her first errand was done, she went off and headed towards her next one. It was a little farther ways away so it was going to be a longer walk. It was at times like this that she wish she had a flying type Pokemon so she could get places faster, but alas, she had never caught one, and didn't plan on getting one anytime soon, so that was a lost cause.

She looked around and saw that there were many people around. It was Saturday and more people came out on that day. It wasn't a fact but if you looked at it a couple of times every once in a while, you would understand. Most people didn't have to work, some kids didn't have to go to school, etc.

She looked all around her. It was a bright and sunny day but it wasn't that hot. There was a nice chill and that was the way Serena liked it. She has since she was young. It was just the fact that it was nice out without being hot. It was perfect.

Since there were so many people out today, Serena nearly bumped into almost every other person she went past. It was very crowded. She had to apologize to basically all the people she bumped or almost bumped into. It was very hard to travel out today.

Suddenly, Serena's phone vibrated and she pulled it out of her right pocket. It was a text from Brock. He apparently just met up with Ash for the first time in a few months. Ash and Brock were basically brothers, having travelled together for so long in so many regions. If you travelled with someone in four different regions, your friendship has to be close, there was no denying it.

Serena put her phone back in her pocket but as soon as she tucked it away, she bumped into someone and fell to the ground. She felt a hard but quick pain as she landed.

"I'm so sorry." She said to the person.

"It's quite all right." The voice, sounding like it belonged to a male as they got up. "Here, let me help you up." He said, reaching his hand out. Serena grabbed it and the man pulled her up.

"Thank you so much." She thanked. She looked up after she had picked up what she dropped. But she then had a surprised expression after she saw who it was.

"Ash?"

"Serena?"

The two then hugged, and it sure was a long one. Since they hadn't seen each other in sixteen years, it was long overdue. They separated when the hug lasted longer than thirty seconds and people started to stare at them.

"Oh my gosh, it's so great to see you. It's been too long." Ash commented.

"Yeah, I know. Sixteen years?" Serena asked.

"Yeah, but who's counting?"

"So, what brings you back here? I haven't seen you in ages." She asked.

"Eh, I've been travelling around for so long. Since I've been in other regions for a couple months now I feel like I need a month or two to sit back and relax." Ash explained. "What have you been up to?"

"Nothing much really. Since I grew up, I haven't really been able to find anything to do. But believe me I'm looking." She explained.

"Well, go out there and look. There's many things you could pursue." He stated. "So, are you seeing anybody right now?

"No. I haven't really gotten around to that yet. How about you and your wife?"

But as soon as she asked that, the expression on Ash's face changed. Serena could tell something was wrong. Was his marriage struggling? Did his wife do something? Did he do something?

"Ash, is there something wrong?"

"Oh, well, there is no wife." He answered, much to Serena's shock.

"Why? What happened?"

"It's just that… my wife and I divorced about six months back." He responded.

Serena didn't know whether to feel bad for him, or mentally slap herself repeatedly. He had been divorced for six months and she didn't know about it. Did she miss it on the news? Did she miss it on social media? Did it even make the news? She had no idea.

"Oh Ash, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's not your fault. We told the news we'd like to keep the divorce secret and not let the public know. So I don't blame you for not knowing. Not very many people know either." Ash explained.

"Well, again, I'm sorry. I'm sorry it didn't work out." Serena commented.

"It was an okay marriage. We were married for five years so it lasted for a good amount of time."

"Not that it's any of my business, but what caused it to end?"

"It was nothing personal. We just weren't compatible anymore. We tried to make it work but nothing could so we decided so split. The love just went away and we didn't want to be together if we didn't love each other anymore so that was when things ended. I don't really see her at all anymore. The kids see her more than I do." He explained.

"Yeah, I heard you had a couple of kids. A son and a daughter right?" She asked.

"Yeah. They're a couple of good kids. They live with me right now but on occasion they see their mother."

"This ex-wife of yours, what was her name?"

"Her name is Denise. We met when we were nineteen. We dated for a year and a half before I proposed. We got married when we were twenty one."

"At least your marriage had a good run. But don't worry Ash, you'll find your next Mrs. Right eventually." She commented. She secretly wanted to be that Mrs. Right. She had wanted this for almost twenty years. But he didn't have to know that yet. She wanted to tell him how she really felt about him but not right now. Not after she met up with him again and especially not after he told her he had been divorced for six months. It was nowhere near the perfect time. Some other time would have to work, just not now.

"Yeah, I guess so. But I have been working up the courage to put myself out there again, but it hasn't been easy. After being with the same person for seven years it's kind of hard to get into the dating game again. I've just been a little nervous as of late." Ash explained.

"Same here. I've been wanting to put myself out there for a while now but I haven't had the nerve to try it out." That was a half lie. She really hadn't been wanting to put herself out there. Since Ash was married, she didn't want to get ready for the dating scene quite yet, but now that he was single, she could get ready.

"So how are things these days?" Ash asked.

"Oh you know. I'm not really doing much. Since I don't really go on journeys anymore I kind of travel around here with my Pokemon and sometimes I train with them every so often." Serena explained. "So, I see you've been quite the busy one as of late, huh?"

"Yeah. It's a lot of work but it's well worth it. One pro is that I decide what I can do whenever I want. Sometimes I'm offered opportunities by others and I have the decision of accepting or declining them. I pretty much accept them because I always like a good challenge, plus I like giving chances to others." He explained.

"Well, you love what you're doing, huh?"

"Yep. Have you decided what you want to do now that you're older?" Ash asked.

"No, I haven't. There really isn't something I want to do nowadays. But I'm fine with it." She answered.

"Come on, there's got to be something you're interested in doing."

"I'll take some time to think about it." Serena replied. "So how long will you be in town?"

"I thought that I would take a few weeks off to settle down a bit. Since I've been going abroad for a couple of months, I've actually been wanting to sit back and relax for some time. It's been pretty hectic."

"Where do you live these days? I've heard you live in Pallet like I do but I never see you there." She asked.

"I live in a gray mansion up on a hill. And don't worry, not very many people visit me that much up there. But that apparently doesn't fend off the paparazzi." Ash stated with a giggle at the end. Serena couldn't help but giggle herself.

"Dad, where are you?" A voice said from out of sight.

"I'm over here, honey." Ash called out.

And from behind a wall of the nearest building came two little kids, a boy and a girl. They came running up to Ash and both of them grabbed each of his legs.

"Where did you go?" His daughter asked.

"That's what I should be asking you. Where did you two ninjas go? You two were next to me then one second, "poof" you're gone." Ash asked looking down at them.

"We must have turned invisible instead of becoming ninjas, daddy." His son joked. Ash and his two kids shared a laugh, with Serena giggling along.

"So daddy, who is this you're talking to?" His daughter asked.

Ash bent down so he was able to put both his arms around his children. "Remember my good friend Serena that I told you guys a lot about? This is her."

Serena was touched by the fact that he said he told them a lot about her. That part made her happy so apparently he didn't forget about her. She bent down as well to greet them.

"Serena, this is my daughter Bellamy and my son Tristan." Ash pointed out.

Serena reached out both her hands to the two kids. "It's really nice to meet you two."

But as for Bellamy and Tristan, they looked at Serena as a ray of hope. It seemed like she was someone that could have a chance with their father.

"Are you single?" Bellamy asked.

That then caught both Serena and Ash off guard. Ash leaned down towards his daughter.

"Bellamy, you don't have to go around to every woman asking that." He stood back up. "Sorry Serena. It's just that ever since their mother and I divorced they've been wanting me to find another woman to date so they would have a mother figure in their life since Denise doesn't really see them that much."

Serena smiled and giggled nervously. "Oh it's no big deal. They kind of remind me of what Bonnie was like when we were younger."

"Yeah. Hey, if you don't have anything planned, how about you come up to the house? Does that sound good?"

He just invited her over to his house. She didn't know where he lived but now she got the chance.

"Of course Ash. I'd love to." She responded.

"Great! Besides, I think Pikachu would like to see you again too." He stated.

"Pikachu is still with you?"

"Yeah. He's my best friend. I'd never let him go."

"All right then, will you take me there?"

"Absolutely. Come on." And the four of them started making their way towards Ash's house. Serena was curious as to what it looked like. And plus, she was wondering what Pikachu was up to these days.

This day was starting to turn good.

 **Author's note:** Ugh, that Angry Orchard didn't go down well. Oh well, I don't plan on drinking another one anytime soon. I'd rather not consume anything that makes me feel like Charizard is going on a rampage in my stomach. Oh wait, you guys are there? Whoops. Forgot. What do you think Ash's house will be like in the next chapter? Where does he live? What type of house? Well, if you want to find out what happens next, read the preview. You guys know what English is right? Naw, I'm just playing around, but go ahead and read it.

"So, do you have anything planned for the next couple of months?" Serena asked.

"No, not really. I just want to sit back and relax for a while. I really need the R & R." Ash responded.

"Oh come on Ash. I know for a fact that you're still the adventurous type. Don't you even want to go out and do something at least once during your break?"

"Well, maybe something I've seen before, but nothing more."

"Come on, Ash. Where's that spark? Where's that raw energy that you have? I want to see that from you. That's what makes Ash Ketchum so genuine. Am I right or not?"

Ash thought it over for a minute. Whenever Ash was travelling, he had immense energy and never ran out of it for even a second. Serena was right. Maybe going somewhere while he took a two month break didn't seem like a bad idea. But thing is, where?

"All right, I'll do it."

Serena playfully hit him on the shoulder. "Now that's what I like to hear. That's the Ash that I remember."

"I'll think about where to go. I've been to a lot of places in every region, but it wouldn't hurt to see one of those places again."

"And I'm pretty sure your kids would like to see more places across the world too. There's so much to see."

"Yeah, the kids haven't had the time to explore around where they've been going to lately, I'd like to let their curiosity roam free."

"That's good, let your kids come along. I'm pretty sure they would love it. Besides, I think they love being with their father."

"That and they love travelling. But yeah, I'll go somewhere."

"I'm glad to see you're open to this idea. I like seeing that side of you."

"I'm glad. But I'll go somewhere on one condition…"

"What is that?"

"Since you haven't done much in a long time, would you like to come along?"

 **Author's note:** Ooh, what an interesting suggestion by Serena, and by Ash as well. Where will Ash decide to go? Is he doing a favor for Serena? Well, hell I don't know. Oh wait, I do, I'm the writer. Man I've got to stop doing that. In order for you to see what happens next, sit tight, grab a snack and some booze (Or whatever depending on your age) and get ready for the next installment. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **"** **Penny, you don't want to get into it with Sheldon. The guy is one lab accident away from being a supervillain."**

 **-Leonard Hofstadter**


	3. Let's Make It

**TDBigJ's message:** *Head in hand, looking blankly at the computer* Oh hey guys, how's your week been? Nothing much for me, other than the fact that I had a job interview today (Which I blew) for a seasonal job. Oh well, I guess I'll keep looking around, hoping something will pull through. I've got a lot of stress inside me thinking that I could have done better (WAY better). Believe me, I'm a little upset right now, but don't worry, my motivation for writing hasn't died down in the least. I've been reading a book for the past couple of months by James Patterson (My favorite author) and let me tell you it's been a very fun book to read. I'm over two hundred pages in and plus I got a new book of his today. I've also been reading a book based off of my favorite video game series (Gears of War) which I'm over one hundred and fifty pages in. Hey, a guy's got to read something other than fanfiction you know. With my points of the week being said, let's get to the responding of reviews.

 **Oliverqueen01:** I like Bailey and Sasha as well. I'm glad that Sasha became Raw women's champion last week. I really like Bailey but my mom doesn't. She thinks she's too "dippy" as she says. Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, I think watching the first episode will give you a fairly good judgment call on the anime. I'm just going to watch it anyway because I watch things to enjoy them regardless of the reception. Glad to hear you're coming off your hiatus soon. That makes me happy. Good to know you liked the last chapter. I plan on bringing some of Ash's Pokemon into this story. It wouldn't be right to just have Pikachu, would it? Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon (both reviews):** I'm very happy to see you're reading this story, that made my day. You just got a new job, huh? As you read from my message, I had a job interview today that didn't really go well. I know for sure that once I get a job that my time for stories will decrease. Glad to know you liked the chapter. I really shouldn't criticize my work before you guys read it. Yeah, I like Ash's kids too, although they won't have much of a role in this chapter. Thanks for the review for the last chapter, I'm glad I did a good job with it. Ha, good job on the name there. She does seem like her, doesn't she? Thank you for thinking this will be a promising story. Thanks for the reviews!

 **Darkaura808:** Yeah, Denise, that's her name. It's a name I thought seemed fitting. You think her name sounds like… actually I'll let everyone else figure that out. Glad you thought I made Bonnie seem matured. I like The Big Bang Theory? It's my favorite show. Serena being one of Ash's Alola companions? I already know the answer to that but I won't spoil it. Yes, Denise will show up, but only for two, three, maybe four chapters. Maybe the middle of the story is when she will make her first appearance. Maybe a few of his former companions will show up in this story. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** Will Denise like or hate Serena? She will most likely be slightly like her, but I'm not going to have her hate Serena. I wouldn't want her to be vengeful or hostile towards her. It wouldn't be right. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** Very great to see you reading this. You've been checking every so often to see if I will post something? Wow! I feel inspired. Thanks for being loyal, it makes me feel warm inside. How have I been? I've been doing great, thanks for asking. Yes, I've been following the anime. Yeah, I agree with you. The animation is great but the art style is off. The animation from XY/Z is better, I agree. Plus, Ash looks like a teenager in the current anime, even though he's ten. Looks like we'll have to live with it like you said, don't we? Yeah, that's also one of the main reasons I watch the anime is to watch Ash compete in gyms and leagues. I too hope they will go back to that after Sun and Moon. Great to know you like the plot of this story. You'll see how Serena gets closer to Ash, I've got a few ideas. Where they're going, you'll see in the next chapter. Thanks for saying that this story has been great in the early goings, it makes my day. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #1:** Yes! I love that name for the fic. Twenty chapters? I can do that, I will get the remaining ones started. Oh man, I really hope that Amourshipping becomes canon one day. All of us Amourshippers are hoping for it aren't we? Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44 :** Glad you loved it! Thanks for the review!

 **Wolves22 (Guest #2):** Glad you though it was awesome! Thanks for the review!

 **Orcinus21:** Oh, you changed your name. I thought that when you reviewed you were someone else. Sorry if I thought that. Okay, good, I didn't confuse you, although you thought you confused me. It's okay, man, no worries. Yeah, I had a feeling you would read this, based on the fact that you wanted this story after In or Out, so I'm happy to know you are. Thanks for that. Yeah, maybe I should expand beyond two genres and you're right, I could increase my range. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and… whoever else.**

They had been walking over to his house for about fifteen minutes now. Most of the talking had been about what the two of them had been up to for sixteen years, along with a little warning of Ash towards his kids to not wander off or misbehave, but for the most part, it was a peaceful walk. At the moment, the two of them were talking about the many challengers Ash had faced while he was in his reign as world champion. Right now, they were on the topic of which one of his friends had battled him over the years.

"So Misty has challenged you a few times in recent years? Interesting. I'm surprised that your friends were willing to battle you despite the fact that you're one of the world's elite."

"Yeah well, they either challenge me just for the heck of it, or they want to see if they can actually beat me in a battle, but it's usually a good schooling." Ash replied.

"Has Clemont battled you at all?" She asked.

"Yeah, I actually battled him recently. When I was over in Kalos a few weeks ago, we had a battle with our best Pokemon. Let's just say I wiped the floor with him." Ash explained.

"How bad was it?"

"It was 6 to 1. Piece of cake."

"I've watched a lot of your battles since you became world champion. It seems that's how most of your battles end up. Either that or they defeat just two." Serena explained.

"Yeah. I like to give them a good challenge. But I admit that all my friends are phenomenal battlers. I don't accept a battle from one of them just because I think I can beat them, it's usually because I like to give them a chance, and besides, I never turn down a challenge." He explained.

"Just out of curiosity, is there any specific reason you accept a challenge?" She asked.

"Yes. The main reason I accept a trainers challenge is to give them some new tactics to battling than just the basics. They can always learn some new elements from just one battle. I like to teach them something from challenging me. And not to toot my horn or anything, but who else to learn that from than one of the best?"

Serena giggled. "You certainly are one of the best, if not THE best. After hearing you explain all that in such detail, you no doubt deserve to be among the ranks of the elite." She then thought for a moment. "Do you ever think you are not only teaching others how to be an experienced battler but your kids as well?"

"That's another reason I accept battles from trainers. I like my kids to see how they can be top notch trainers when they start their own journeys in a few years. I mean Bellamy is five and Tristan is four so they've still got time until they become trainers to learn everything they can from watching me battle. My battles are sort of like lessons to them." Ash explained.

"It's good to teach them that at an early age. With who you are, I'm sure they see you as a role model. But do you think they're able to process at least some of what you do in your battles since they're so young." She asked.

"Well, I think since they are so young, they don't catch everything I do but they are learning some of the basic parts of being a trainer. I think that the more important and advanced parts they will be able to learn as they get older." Ash explained.

"That's totally understandable." Serena replied.

The rest of the way they continued talking about Ash's battles, more about his most recent ones. Ten minutes later, they had arrived at his house, but more specifically, his mansion. Yes that's right. Ash now lives in a mansion. With him being World Champion, did you really expect anything less? Serena was awed. It was a cozy looking mansion. It was painted gray with white trim. It was the usual two stories tall, but from left to right it was a good fifty yards. Boy, she was surely wondering what it looked like on the inside.

"Wow, Ash! This is impressive. What's it like living in a place like this?"

"Eh, nothing special. Just as long as my kids have a place to live. Would you like to see the inside?"

"Sure."

Ash took the keys out of his left pocket and unlocked the door and went inside. Once Serena walked in, she was literally speechless. The inside of the mansion was incredibly beautiful. There were two flights of stairs that curved, there was a crystal chandelier that hung low from the ceiling, and the tiles on the floor were made of granite. It was incredible.

"Ash, this is amazing. How do you keep this place maintained?"

"I have a cleaning crew come in once every month to tidy this place up a bit. All the knick knacks that you see were gifts given to me by my mother. She helped pick out some of the stuff around here."

"Just one question: Is this a lot of room for you?"

"It kind of is. But big amount of space is for the kids to run around in. That's one of the reasons I bought this place. Besides, the kids liked this place too." Ash explained.

"They're very picky kids it seems." Serena said with a giggle.

Ash chuckled. "Hey, as long as it helps and keeps a roof over their head, it's fine with me."

From Ash's room at the top of the stairs, came out a so familiar yellow electric mouse, rubbing his eyes from apparently waking up from a nap. He looked at the bottom of the stairs. But what he didn't expect to see is his buddy's childhood friend to be there with him, with made Pikachu ecstatic.

"PIKA!" Pikachu exclaimed and started running down the stairs in a hurry.

"Pikachu, hey." Serena replied as the electric mouse got to the bottom of the stairs and rushed over to her and jumped up into Serena's arms. Serena caught him and hugged him tightly close to her face.

"It's so great to see you! It's been too long!" She stated as Pikachu rubbed his face against hers. It had been a long time since Serena felt the soft yellow fur that Pikachu possessed. She stretched her arms out so that Pikachu was facing her a few inches away from her face. Pikachu hadn't changed in the slightest. He still looked like the strong electric rodent that she travelled along with sixteen years ago. Of course, she didn't really know if Pokemon ever showed their age, but it wasn't that big of a deal. Pikachu hopped from Serena's arms to her left shoulder, doing that old thing that he always did with his trainer.

"Pikachu is still looking live and well." Serena commented.

"Yeah, he is still the fierce battler but friendly little guy." Ash stated.

"It's good to see him in person again. I get to see him on tv but it's been ages since I came in contact with him."

Ash wasn't the only one that Serena had missed all these years. She missed his best friend as well. She missed Ash's other Pokemon as well. She didn't know where they were but she had a good guess. Since Ash and Pikachu were inseparable, she could understand why Pikachu was the only one who lived with Ash these days. It really wasn't a surprise.

"Pikachu has missed you a lot. Every so often he shows me pictures of you and wonders if he will ever see you again. He even remembers the time you and him battled when we were younger. He definitely considers you his second trainer." Ash explained.

"Really?" She looked directly at Pikachu. "Is that true Pikachu?"

Pikachu nodded his head. "Pikachu."

Serena started stroking Pikachu's head. "So Ash, where are your other Pokemon?"

"They're all with Professor Oak over at his lab." He answered.

"Professor Oak is still working at his lab?"

"Yep. And Gary is helping him out too. Yes, I know that he's getting up there in age but he still enjoys what he does. But Gary does most of the work due to Professor Oak's age. Gary told me he had to take it easy until the day he retired. But he's still motoring along." Ash explained.

"Hm, I'm going to have to pay him a visit one of these days. Just to see what he's up to." Serena stated. "And Gary too. I haven't seen him in a few months.

"Hey, you want to come sit down? I'm pretty sure your feet are getting sore."

"Yeah, good call."

The two walked over to the living room and sat down on the couch. Tristan and Bellamy had gone upstairs to their respective rooms to do whatever kids do these days. Ash and Serena thought they would catch up and make up for lost time.

"Since you just asked me about my Pokemon, what are your Pokemon up to these days? Do you still have your three?"

"Yeah, they're all doing pretty well. They haven't done much battling or performing in a while but every so often I do a little bit of training with them." She explained.

"How often do you do so?"

"About once a week. Since I haven't really done anything since my performing days, I don't find training them day in and day out to be mandatory. But I'll probably do it more frequently once I do find something." Serena explained.

"Well, have you given it any thought about what you might want to do?" He asked.

"Every now and then."

"I know you're not much of a battler. I mean, I know you battled sometimes back in the day, but if I remember correctly, you thought battling wasn't your forte." Ash stated.

"I don't know, I have given that thought some consideration. I have thought about even doing contests." She replied.

"You aren't even wanting to go back to performing?" Ash asked.

"No, not really. You don't really see adult women at all performing. I mean, we saw Jessibelle back in the day but she was really the only adult we had ever seen in showcases and none really since then have done it. At least not from what I've seen over the years." Serena explained.

"Yeah, I haven't even seen Shauna compete in any showcases in the last sixteen years. All I've really seen in contests is newcomers or people who didn't make it the previous year but wanted to give it another shot."

"Uh huh. So I'm not really going to go back to that. After seeing your friends May and Dawn compete in contests, that one I'm giving the slight edge over battling."

"I'm sure you'll do fine either way. Whatever you set your mind to I'm pretty sure you'll do great."

"You think so?"

"I know you will."

Serena brushed her hair to the side. "All right, I'll give it some more thought in the upcoming days." She then scooted up in her seat. "What do your kids do besides watching you battle?"

"Nothing really. What they could learn in school is what they could learn when they travel around with me."

"So, just travelling around with you is basically their life?" Serena asked.

"Sort of. I kind of leave them with my mom whenever I have to go somewhere that I feel like I can't take them."

"How often is that?"

"About once every few weeks. They love my mom."

"How do they feel about your Pokemon?"

"They love my Pokemon as well. They get along with Buizel, Greninja, and Bulbasaur the best. But I warn them when they are around Charizard. He's good with them but I have to keep a close eye on them when they're in his vicinity because you never know if he'll lose his temper and accidentally attacks them." Ash explained.

"It's good that nothing has happened to them yet. I have to keep a close eye on my Pokemon too when they're around other kids or even other people. I have to make sure that they don't somehow attack them by accident." Serena stated.

"Yeah. My friends have to do the same with theirs. Whenever they're around others, they have to watch them. I'm guessing everyone has to." Ash said.

"I think so."

"Hey Serena, can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"There's something I promised you a long time ago that I never got around to doing and I wanted to apologize to you for it."

"What would that be?"

"Remember when before I left Kalos and I told you that I would keep in touch with you? I realized that I never did and I am really sorry for not doing so."

Serena felt touched by this. She didn't expect Ash to apologize for this, at least not right away, or even when they first met up for the first time in years. But he did and she felt relieved.

"It's okay, Ash, I forgive you entirely. And besides, I should also apologize for not keeping in touch with you either."

"It's all right. You're forgiven."

"So, do you have anything planned for the next couple of months?" Serena asked.

"No, not really. I just want to sit back and relax for a while. I really need the R & R." Ash responded.

"Oh come on Ash. I know for a fact that you're still the adventurous type. Don't you even want to go out and do something at least once during your break?"

"Well, maybe something I've seen before, but nothing more."

"Come on, Ash. Where's that spark? Where's that raw energy that you have? I want to see that from you. That's what makes Ash Ketchum so genuine. Am I right or not?"

Ash thought it over for a minute. Whenever Ash was travelling, he had immense energy and never ran out of it for even a second. Serena was right. Maybe going somewhere while he took a two month break didn't seem like a bad idea. But thing is, where?

"All right, I'll do it."

Serena playfully hit him on the shoulder. "Now that's what I like to hear. That's the Ash that I remember."

"I'll think about where to go. I've been to a lot of places in every region, but it wouldn't hurt to see one of those places again."

"And I'm pretty sure your kids would like to see more places across the world too. There's so much to see."

"Yeah, the kids haven't had the time to explore around where they've been going to lately, I'd like to let their curiosity roam free."

"That's good, let your kids come along. I'm pretty sure they would love it. Besides, I think they love being with their father."

"That and they love travelling. But yeah, I'll go somewhere."

"I'm glad to see you're open to this idea. I like seeing that side of you."

"I'm glad. But I'll go somewhere on one condition…"

"What is that?"

"Since you haven't done much in a long time, would you like to come along?"

Serena's mouth opened slightly. "Really? Are you serious?"

"I feel like I owe it to you, since I didn't live up to my promise of contacting you for the past sixteen years. So are you up for it?"

Serena had to think of this for a moment. Her crush had just asked her to come along with him on a vacation to wherever, and he apologized for not contacting her for such a long time, which was sincere to her. With all of that, how could she say no?

"Ash, I would love to." She replied.

"Great! We'll make plans. It'll be me, my kids, and my two best friends. I'll be looking forward to this."

Now there was a part of his sentence that mattered a lot to Serena but also surprised her. Ash just said that she was one of his best friends, and he wasn't just talking about Pikachu. Did that mean… She was Ash's best human friend? She wanted to know badly, but she would wait for that for a later time as it wasn't important at the moment.

"I'll be looking forward to it too. I'll think of some places to go, if that's fine."

"Cool. My kids and I will discuss it over too. Once we all agree to something, we'll set it up."

"Well, I should get going. My Pokemon are probably worried sick about me. I've been gone for a couple of hours and I usually don't leave them alone for more than that." Serena said as she got up.

"All right. I guess I'll see you later. It was really great seeing you again."

"You too Ash."

She went up to embrace Ash, who returned the hug. It felt great feeling Ash's warm touch again. His seething skin and smell of his manly cologne made Serena get lost in Ash's embrace, not realizing that she had been hugging him for nearly thirty seconds now. Ash had slightly let go of the hug but returned to it once he realized that Serena wasn't letting go. It didn't bother him but the hug was getting kind of long.

"Uh Serena?"

Serena swiftly opened her eyes and let go of the hug after noticing it went on too long. She brushed her hair to the side as she regained her cool.

"Uh right. Sorry about that, Ash."

"Hey, I wasn't complaining."

She brushed her hair one more time. "Okay well, I'll get going then."

"I'll walk you to the door."

The two walked to the front door together so it wouldn't seem like they didn't care about each other. Ash wanted to feel like a gentleman so he felt like it was necessary.

"Do you want me to walk you home? I wouldn't mind." Ash stated.

"No, it's fine. But thank you. So I'll see you soon." She said as she opened the front door and stepped out.

"Oh, and Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"I missed you."

Ash smiled. "I missed you too."

And after that Serena started making her way home. Ash shut the door behind her and made his way back to the living room. Little did he know, Tristan and Bellamy had been watching them from the top of the stairs. After seeing what had just transpired, a huge smile spread across their faces.

"She would make a good mom, wouldn't she?" Bellamy asked.

 **Author's note:** Now that was nice. Ash is still the considerate guy from when he was ten. But did you really think it would change up? Naw, like I said before, I like to keep the characters canonical to the way they are in the anime. Man, Tristan and Bellamy have only known Serena for a couple hours and they are already wanting her to be their new mom. I know, weird right? Now, I'm going to go outside and scream in frustration. While I let the world know about my feelings of agony, get a head's up of the next chapter in the preview.

Tristan took out his disposable camera and took a picture of the scenery. He may have been four years old but he was just as curious as every other kid… and person. Meanwhile, Bellamy was keeping an eye on her dad and in her words "potential mother" hoping that they would somehow show some signs of affection towards each other. Her dad had always mentioned that she reminded him of his former travelling companion Bonnie. She never quite got what he meant by that but she wasn't the one that travelled with her for months. But Ash told her that once Bellamy met Bonnie, Bonnie would confirm it, and he was right.

"Have you ever been here before, Serena?" Ash asked.

"Actually, no, I haven't." She replied.

"Well, take it in. I've been here many times before. It also holds one of the first great memories I had on my journey." Ash explained.

"It's good to go back to a place you know and love so well, isn't it?"

"Yep. Hey kids?"

Tristan and Bellamy looked up at their father. "Yes daddy?" Tristan asked.

"Remember when I told you I had some struggles to start off my journey but once I got here I felt like I started to believe in myself a lot more after I left?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I'm going to take you to a place where I made my presence known here. Come on, let's go. I'll show you." He started walking, with Serena and the kids following soon after.

"Hasn't dad shown us everywhere he's been here before the last couple of times we've been here?" Bellamy asked to Tristan.

"I don't know. Maybe there was something he didn't want to show us yet until now." Tristan answered.

"I guess we'll have to walk with him and see." Bellamy added.

A few minutes later, they entered a forest. Seeing as they were kids and you know the attention spans kids have these days (and the patience they had), Tristan and Bellamy were getting anxious, really wanting to know where their dad was taking them.

"Where is this place, dad?" Tristan asked.

"Not that much farther. Maybe a good ten minutes." Ash responded.

"I'll be distracted by a Pidgey within that time." Tristan whispered to Bellamy. This caused a stifle of giggles from Bellamy. Luckily for them, Ash and Serena didn't hear their commotion. It's not like they would have cared but it's good to keep it secret without others knowledge.

"Where is this place?" Serena asked Ash.

"You'll see soon." He replied.

"Come on. Won't you tell me?" Serena asked in a lovey dovey voice while also giving Ash puppy dog eyes.

"Uh, what is that look for?" Ash asked.

Serena was surprised that Ash asked that. He had been married before but even though she had no proof that Denise did the same thing, she was pretty sure that she did that at least a few times throughout their marriage.

"Oh, it's nothing." Serena replied.

"Oh fine, I will tell you." He leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"Oh, that's cool to take us there." She responded.

"Ssh, just make sure the kids don't know." He stated.

Serena made a zipping motion across her lips. "My lips are sealed.

 **Author's note:** *Runs back from screaming session* Whew! Glad I got that out of my system. Did you guys get a good view of the next chapter? Got a general idea? Did I accidentally wake up the neighbors? Read the next chapter with an answer to at least two of the questions. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **Because I don't have to go. Only you and my grandfather go every thirty seconds.**

 **-Sonny Koufax, Big Daddy**


	4. Ride On

**TDBigJ's message:** Hey, hey, hey! Okay, I'm sounding like Fat Albert, and I'm neither fat or is my name Albert, even though that isn't a bad name to have, but how many people these days are named Albert? Sorry for any of you whose name is Albert, I hate to be rude, one of the last things I want to be. Anyway, who is up for another chapter? I think this story is pretty decent up to this point. The reception is more than I expected. I'm glad that those of you who have read one or both of my multi chapter fics before this one are reading this one and those of you who are new, thank you as well. I do this all for you guys and the fact that I enjoy writing. I guess it could be considered practice for my future career, I hope that doesn't sound selfish, and I apologize if it does. With what I needed to be said having been said let's get to the responding of the reviews.

 **Wolves22 (Guest #1):** I wish I could say she would, but she was only and OC for my last two stories. I hate to say she probably won't be appearing in this story, but I might change my mind, you never know. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** I'm not quite sure. Thanks for the review!

 **Oliverqueen01:** Yeah, Sasha Banks against Charlotte inside hell in a cell is something that is a pretty genius idea. Mick Foley is right. Women need to make history. Sweet! You'll be back to writing soon. Yay! I'm happy. Yes Bellamy is like you know who. Good bonding moments, every story needs them. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** Heh, pimping her dad out. It seems like Bellamy is up to that isn't she? Where is Ash taking his kids and Serena on vacation? Well, you'll see. It's an early memory as in not very early but from the original series. Yeah, puppy dog eye moments, I like those too. My Basset Hound does that to my mom very often as well. I'm planning this story to be fifteen chapters like the other two. Thanks for the review!

 **ChloboShoka:** I'm glad you like the idea of Ash's ex-wife being an OC. I just don't like it if it was a female from the anime, especially one of his former travelling companions. I would just like Ash to keep his friendship with everybody he's met. I'm rooting for Serena too, although only I know where this story will be going. Sorry if I'm being rude. I like the idea of Tristan and Bellamy having Serena as a stepmother. Just seems like a good idea. Thanks for the review!

 **Orcinus21:** Glad you liked the chapter. No problem. Your recommendation is right. I really need to expand genres as a writer if I am to be one in my life. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #2:** The crossover fic should be out within a week so sit tight. An amourshipping picture on my page? I don't know, I'll think about it. Thanks for the review!

 **Darkaura808:** Thanks for lifting my spirits, I sure could use it, although I don't want to ask for sympathy. I don't like being the center of attention. The Big Bang Theory is your favorite show too? Awesome! I'm actually watching it right now as I type this. Weird thing is, I actually am able to type better while I have it going on in front of me. Yeah, the experiment is them trying to live together. I watched last week's episode at my brother's place (Which he is now moving out of). Yeah, the reason I put those as Ash's reasons for accepting challenges because that seems that would be like something Ash would do. Yeah, I'm pretty sure Pikachu would like his buddy and his childhood friend become a thing. Thanks for saying I'm a great writer. Even the simple comments make my day. I hope this story has potential, but that is up to you guys. Why aren't Tristan and Bellamy with Denise? Well, I will point that out this chapter but it's just a simple reason. When are one of them going to make a move? I would say that around chapter seven or eight one of them will make a move. Don't worry, asking that question is fine, it's only a minor spoiler. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #3:** Well here it is. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** I think Pikachu thinking Serena as his second trainer seems to fit well. Braixen (Or Delphox) Seeing Greninja in this story? I'll think about it. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** Yeah, Ash's kids carbon copies of Bonnie. I find that funny. Yeah, you really don't see four or five year olds that mature for their age but, you know they're still little kids so their maturity is nowhere near developed but I thought making Tristan and Bellamy decent kids for their age, make them different from the bunch. You think you know where they're going? Well, you'll see this chapter. I actually haven't seen this past week's episode, but at least you noted that it was a spoiler. I actually already knew that Serena wasn't going with Ash to Alola because I've been reading Sun and Moon articles for the past month. I hope that Ash and Serena have a chance to reunite in the future and perhaps travel once again, but I have no idea where the anime will go after Sun and Moon. I guess I'll have to wait for a few years to find out. I hope she appears in Alola too. The writers have to at least give us that. I am not ready for the goodbye (Although it might have already happened). But I'm ready for Sun and Moon and see how Ash fares in school. Thanks for the review!

 **Roger1119:** This is your favorite fanfic out of the hundred that you read? Aww, thank you. That also makes my day. Well, here is that chapter you're wanting. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and… whoever else.**

It was ten at night and Serena was packing her bags. She needed to check if she had everything for the trip: clothes, toiletries, etc. The following morning her, Ash, and his kids were taking a trip over to the Orange Islands. They had been making plans the last couple of days and they eventually decided that they would go the second locale that Ash had travelled in his younger days. Serena had never been there but Ash noted that he had taken his kids there once or twice in the past. Since neither his kids nor Serena had really much of an idea of what the Orange Islands looked like (his kids more so than her), they thought that Ash would give them a look at one of the first great memories he had made as a trainer.

After checking that she had everything and putting her bags right next to the side of her bed, she sat down and wondered about this whole trip. This whole vacation was Ash doing a favor to Serena since she had hardly travelled much since she was a young girl. He felt bad for her and thought that while he was off for a couple of months, he might as well spend some of his time with her. She was his best friend (besides Pikachu) after all, and she was ecstatic that he had thought about her for this. But that was who Ash was: so considerate and thoughtful. At least he wasn't dense anymore.

When he invited her on this trip, she was surprised. She had just met up with Ash again and he was already doing her a favor. He certainly didn't have to, but he was Ash, someone who always put others before himself. She was pleased to go with Ash and his kids, and she would especially get to know his kids better. But there was one thing she wanted to do while going on this trip with Ash and his kids: It was to have some bonding time with Ash. Since she hadn't seen him in sixteen years she wanted to know all about him again. She wanted to be the next woman in his life and she wanted to start by knowing what kind of person he was now. She knew he wasn't the exact same person she travelled with so long ago so she wanted to know what parts of his personality had changed. She already knew he was more mature, less dense, and a lot smarter than the boy she knew when she was young. She really wanted to see what was different about him now. She didn't want to be his next love interest right away, that would take time. Just like everyone else, she needed to take baby steps while achieving her goal, and that was exactly how she was going to do it. Of course, there were some parts of him that hadn't changed throughout the years: His kindness, his boldness, his respectfulness, etc. Those were just a few of the things that she loved about him so much, a few reasons why she still harbored a crush on him to this day.

And then there were his kids. Tristan and Bellamy seemed like adorable little kids. The question regarding her relationship status a few days ago sure stunned Serena as she wasn't expecting a question from either of his kids like that. It raised some questions in her head. Did they still love their mother? Did they want their dad to be happy again? And then a new span of questions arose in her head. If they wanted their dad to be happy again, did that mean Ash was going downhill? Was he depressed? She couldn't make any of these her conclusions as she didn't know the exact reason why they wanted a second mother in their lives. Yes, she would love to be their mother because of them and Ash, but why, and why her? She didn't have the faintest clue. Maybe it was due to the fact that they only saw their mother on an occasional basis. Ash did say that they only saw their mother once in a while. Why so? Did Denise want nothing to do with her kids? Did she not have time due to her schedule? She more or less wanted it to be the latter as she didn't think Denise wouldn't want to be around her kids because she resented them, although she didn't know what kind of person Denise was. But from what Ash described their divorce as, she was sure that Denise wasn't a horrible woman and that she loved her kids, but probably perhaps she just didn't have enough time to visit or spend time with them. Maybe she had a job that got in the way or there was so much other stuff she did that occupied her time. She felt bad that Tristan and Bellamy's mother was hardly ever around them. It's like they don't have a mother at all, and that probably hurt them, she would love to be around them so they had a mother figure and plus be with the man of her dreams.

She fell back on her bed and continued thinking. A lot had happened in sixteen years. The last six months for Ash probably had to have been hard for him. Serena wondered if Ash was over his marriage. Did he still think about Denise? If he did, did it depress him? Did he regret the divorce? Serena didn't think so, Ash didn't look like he was depressed when she saw him a few short days ago. But of course, many people don't show their depression for the sake of not concerning their friends and loved ones. Since he saw her for the first time since they were kids, did he not want to show that he was feeling bad about the divorce in front of her? Now, why was she thinking this? She didn't know the exact reason why his kids wanted a second mom. She knew Ash wasn't depressed. Ash was a strong person. But hey, depression could hit anyone, no matter how strong they were mentally-

She slapped herself on the side of the head. Depression wasn't one of the answers right now, why was it running through her mind? She needed to let that go.

She looked at it outside. It was dark and the sky had it's stars. She thought that she would hit the hay as early in the morning she would be leaving to catch a plane with Ash and his kids to the Orange Islands. She was already in her pajamas so she decided to crawl under her sheets and get some shut eye. She went through her bags one more time to check if she had everything. She would check again in the morning but thought doing it one more time before bed wouldn't hurt and let her think if there was anything else she could grab before she forgot. After checking it through thoroughly, she crawled under her sheets, turned off the lamp next to her bed, and fell asleep.

The following morning, Serena's alarm clock went off blaring. She was suddenly startled awake and flicked the switch and turned off the alarm. She sat up and stretched her arms out, pulled the covers off of her, and got out of bed. She looked at the clock, it read 7:48 a.m. Since Ash was going to be here at nine, she thought she would get an early head start and get her day going.

After getting showered, dressed, and checking through her bags one more time, Serena texted Ash (she got his number a few days ago) just to let him know that she up and ready. He texted her back saying that he needed a few more minutes until he AND his kids were completely done and ready, so she had some time to get anything else done that she could think of.

She sat down on her couch after getting herself some coffee and took out her phone again. She checked the weather for the next few days in the Orange Islands (Yes she can check that from Kanto). The weather was supposed to be in the eighties the whole week, so it seemed that it was going to be very humid weather on this vacation, so it was a good thing she packed some short sleeved shirts and capris for the trip.

She was wondering what the Orange Islands was going to be like (Other than the fact that it was going to be warm). Ash had a better idea of what that Orange Islands was since he's been there many times before so she thought that while on the plane ride there she would ask him a few questions of what it's like there and plus what Ash himself has done there on his past visits. She was a little curious so it might as well make for some good small talk while passing the time on the flight.

Ash just texted her and told her that he and his kids were done and they were on their way to her place to pick her up. She put her phone in her pocket and went into her room, got her bags and brought out to the front door, that way she wouldn't have to worry about making two trips back and forth.

Within fifteen minutes, Ash had pulled up in his SUV and helped Serena pack her bags in the car and then took off. It was a twenty minute drive to the nearest airport so they had a lot of time to talk about what they were going to do while in the Orange Islands. On the ride there, Ash's kids were well behaved, and asked Serena many questions as to what she has been doing in recent years and what it was like travelling with their father when she was young. She gave her honest opinion about what it was like going around Kalos with Ash (Without mentioning that she had and still does have a massive crush on their father). Serena had to admit they were smart kids for their age, and the fact they knew how to behave. Normally kids at four and five were a lot different and were a bit raucous when they were in a car or in general, but Ash's kids were completely different. Ash and Denise must have taught them really well in their early years.

A little time later, they arrived at the airport and got their tickets. A few people here and there knew who Ash was (Who didn't?) and went up to ask him questions and/or ask him for an autograph. Ash was very patient with them and answered their questions and gave them his signature if they asked him without hesitation. When that was all finished, they sat down in the seats the airport had available. Their flight didn't leave for another forty minutes so they had time to kill.

"So Serena, what was your favorite memory when you were travelling with my dad?" Tristan asked.

"My favorite memory? Oh where do I begin? It's kind of hard to think about it." She replied.

"Is there a lot of them?"

Serena literally didn't know where to begin. But she then figured out it was quite obvious. "My favorite memory of travelling with your dad was when we went to the Coumarine City Festival and after all the lights were lit, he gave me a blue ribbon he got as a gift."

"Is it the same blue ribbon you have tied to your shirt?" Bellamy asked.

Serena placed her left hand over the ribbon. "It is. It's my most cherished possession. He did it out of the kindness of his heart. That was what made that moment special."

"My dad holds a special place in your heart as well, doesn't he?"

"I… well… he's one of my best friends even to this day. We knew each other well before our journey and he even went out of his way to help me the first day he met me." Serena explained.

Ten minutes later, the two kids had fallen asleep, wanting to catch up on some since they got up so early this morning just so they could get here. Ash and Serena were each checking some things on their phones. Ash put his back in his pocket and then looked over at Serena. He wanted to ask her something.

"Hey Serena?"

"Yeah Ash, what is it?"

He took a deep breath before asking. "How come you're still wearing the ribbon I gave to you when we were younger?"

Now she took a deep breath before answering. "I still wear it because someone who happens to be my best friend gave it to me. But it means more than that. It was something that you got as a gift but you went out of your way to give it to me as a matter of saying thanks. It is still the most meaningful item I own that someone gave me."

"It really means that much to you?"

"Of course Ash. It came from you."

Ash took a moment to think that over. What did she mean by: "It came from you." How important was he to her. He knew he was important to her but didn't know how serious it was. He must have guessed that he had a lot of importance to her if she still wore a ribbon he gave to her a long time ago. She was important to him, but the other way around seemed like it was more serious.

"Oh, and Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"I realized that I never thanked you for your moment of gratitude from back then. I thought that now would be a good time while it's on topic."

Ash smiled. "Think nothing of it Serena." He said as he took his phone out of his pocket once again.

The forty minutes passed and they had boarded their plane and taken off. Tristan and Bellamy had fallen asleep again since apparently the forty minutes in the airport weren't enough, and the fact that they fell asleep last night at 8:30 and woke up at 7:00. So they ended up getting ten and a half hours of sleep and still being drowsy in the morning, but Ash wasn't complaining. They were little kids after all, sleeping half the day away was kind of their thing. He didn't know whether they were still tired or were just sleeping just to pass the time since they didn't really have anything else to do. Serena had pulled out her laptop to something on it while Ash was looking out the window that was a few feet away from him, just paying attention to what passed by outside, whether it was Pidgeys, it's evolved forms, any other flying type Pokemon that flew by. It was pretty boring seeing only a few things pass by the plane as it soared through the sky.

Seeing the Pidgeys fly by reminded Ash of his Pidgeot that he had back at Oak's lab. He remembered when he was a young trainer and had trained his Pidgeot. After he left Kanto he didn't train with Pidgeot at all for a long time, not since after his stay in Alola. He felt bad for not being with Pidgeot all that time. Pidgeot was the first flying type he ever obtained during his journey when it was a Pidgey. He wished that he came back to Pidgeot while it was still looking after it's flock. He was grateful that he was able to train a lot for Pidgeot since then and frequently used her in battles to this day. While he was thinking this over, he didn't notice was that Serena was looking right at him.

"Ash?" This snapped Ash out of his trance. "You okay? What are you thinking about?"

Ash rubbed his eyes with his index finger and thumb. "Oh, I was just thinking about my past. Nothing too major."

"Was it about one of your Pokemon?"

"Yeah. Pidgeot specifically."

"Well, I hope your Pidgeot is fine. I'm pretty sure Oak is taking good care of it at the moment."

"Yeah, I hope so."

The rest of the flight was pretty much uneventful. Ash's kids had woken up after five hours of sleep and pretty much used their electronics the rest of the way. Once they landed, they went to the nearest hotel and booked in and got tucked in for the rest of the night since the flight was a good ten hours and they thought they'd get some shut eye after the long flight. It was 10:00 at night and they wanted to get a good amount of sleep because Ash had something planned for tomorrow. He apparently said he was going to take them to a special place tomorrow since it was nearby. So they got in their pajamas, crawled under the sheets and slept the night away.

The following morning they had gotten showered, dressed, had breakfast, and left towards the locale Ash had told them about. Tristan and Bellamy had been taking pictures ever since they left the hotel. They sure were interesting kids, weren't they.

Tristan took out his disposable camera and took a picture of the scenery. He may have been four years old but he was just as curious as every other kid… and person. Meanwhile, Bellamy was keeping an eye on her dad and in her words "potential mother" hoping that they would somehow show some signs of affection towards each other. Her dad had always mentioned that she reminded him of his former travelling companion Bonnie. She never quite got what he meant by that but she wasn't the one that travelled with her for months. But Ash told her that once Bellamy met Bonnie, Bonnie would confirm it, and he was right.

"Have you ever been here before, Serena?" Ash asked.

"Actually, no, I haven't." She replied.

"Well, take it in. I've been here many times before. It also holds one of the first great memories I had on my journey." Ash explained.

"It's good to go back to a place you know and love so well, isn't it?"

"Yep. Hey kids?"

Tristan and Bellamy looked up at their father. "Yes daddy?" Tristan asked.

"Remember when I told you I had some struggles to start off my journey but once I got here I felt like I started to believe in myself a lot more after I left?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I'm going to take you to a place where I made my presence known here. Come on, let's go. I'll show you." He started walking, with Serena and the kids following soon after.

"Hasn't dad shown us everywhere he's been here before the last couple of times we've been here?" Bellamy asked to Tristan.

"I don't know. Maybe there was something he didn't want to show us yet until now." Tristan answered.

"I guess we'll have to walk with him and see." Bellamy added.

A few minutes later, they entered a forest. Seeing as they were kids and you know the attention spans kids have these days (and the patience they had), Tristan and Bellamy were getting anxious, really wanting to know where their dad was taking them.

"Where is this place, dad?" Tristan asked.

"Not that much farther. Maybe a good ten minutes." Ash responded.

"I'll be distracted by a Pidgey within that time." Tristan whispered to Bellamy. This caused a stifle of giggles from Bellamy. Luckily for them, Ash and Serena didn't hear their commotion. It's not like they would have cared but it's good to keep it secret without others knowledge.

"Where is this place?" Serena asked Ash.

"You'll see soon." He replied.

"Come on. Won't you tell me?" Serena asked in a lovey dovey voice while also giving Ash puppy dog eyes.

"Uh, what is that look for?" Ash asked.

Serena was surprised that Ash asked that. He had been married before but even though she had no proof that Denise did the same thing, she was pretty sure that she did that at least a few times throughout their marriage.

"Oh, it's nothing." Serena replied.

"Oh fine, I will tell you." He leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"Oh, that's cool to take us there." She responded.

"Ssh, just make sure the kids don't know." He stated.

Serena made a zipping motion across her lips. "My lips are sealed.

Ten minutes later they got close to their destination. Once they reached it, it happened to be a big stadium. Ash's kids were a little confused as to why he took them here. Serena had a better idea, although she herself didn't know the reason for being here.

"Daddy, what did you do here at this stadium?" Tristan asked.

"This… Is the same stadium where I won the Orange League against Drake." Ash answered.

Serena was surprised by this. She had no idea that Ash had won a league before. Why did he never tell her this when they were young?

"You won a league? I never knew that. I thought you never won a league before you travelled with me." Serena stated.

"Well, the Orange League isn't an official league, so it really didn't count as a major league victory." Ash replied. "Let's walk inside shall we?"

The four of them then walked inside the stadium. Surprisingly is was still well maintained. To the kids and Serena, it was a great looking stadium, to Ash, it looked like it hadn't changed a bit in the last decade and a half.

"Did you make some good memories here dad?" Tristan asked.

Ash bent down and put his arms around his kids. "I sure did Tristan. I sure did."

"Do you think you could battle here again one day for us?" Bellamy asked.

"I could do that. After all you kids love seeing me do it." He responded.

Tristan and Bellamy turned around and hugged Ash, who returned the hug. Suddenly, they heard a camera shutter. They all looked and saw that Serena had taken it with her camera.

"One for the memory books." She said.

 **Author's note:** Well, there you have it. Looks like their vacation to the Orange Islands went smoothly. I think it was nice for Ash to show his kids and Serena the sight of his first and only league victory (Even if the league is unofficial). Well, at least he's won a league. It's one of the main major achievements Ash has had so far on his journey, that and conquering the Battle Frontier. At least that's my opinion. What do you guys think will happen next? Well, I've got a major event (Sort of) happening in the next chapter. If you want to know what it is, read the preview.

"Aww, but we don't want you to go." Bellamy whined, hugging Serena's leg.

Serena bent down and hugged Bellamy back. "I know. But it's getting late and I have to see how my Pokemon are doing. Who knows what party they've been throwing while I've been gone."

Bellamy and Tristan laughed at what Serena had just said. They knew she was joking. Serena must have swore, these kids had the intelligence of a teenager, if you thought teenagers were smart.

"Don't worry, I'll come back soon. Who knows? Maybe I'll come back tomorrow." She stated.

"Will you?" Bellamy asked.

"I'll think about it. But I love you guys, so it's a good possibility."

Tristan and Bellamy blushed when she said she loved them, only making them hope she would be their new mother even more. She obviously was the mother figure they'd admired to have.

"Just trust me, I'll come over a lot to see you guys. I couldn't live with myself if I stopped. I'll be back over soon, okay?"

Bellamy looked down, but she was still smiling. "Okay."

"All right." Serena said, then rubbing them both on the heads. "I'll see you guys soon."

She opened the door and walked out, waving goodbye. She started making their way home. While on the walk home, she thought about how often she visited Ash and his kids. It had been the third time in five days. She didn't want to overdo it. But Ash seemed to be fine with it. He actually liked having her come over quite often. She was his childhood friend after all. He knew her longer than anybody (Besides his mother).

Ten minutes later, she made it halfway home. It was 5:39 in the evening and the streets weren't as crowded as they were when she made her way over earlier today. She looked at her watch to find out how long she was over there.

"Geez, four hours. I feel like my visits are getting longer. I hope I'm not bugging Ash too often for too long." She said to herself. She wondered what her Pokemon had been up to since she left. Since her visits got longer she had been leaving them alone longer than she had ever been. Maybe one of these times she'd have to bring them over to Ash's so she wouldn't be worried.

But almost immediately, she bumped into somebody, which jolted her back to reality. She looked at the person she bumped into. It was a woman, maybe a few inches taller than her and she appeared slim with long curly brown hair.

"I'm so sorry about that. I should have watched where I was going." Serena said.

The woman raised her hands in the air. "It's no big deal. I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going either."

"Well, I guess we're both to blame here." Serena stated.

"Yeah, I would have to agree."

Serena held out her hand. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? The name is Serena."

The woman shook Serena's hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Denise."

 **Author's note:** WHOA! Didn't see that coming now did you? Is this Denise woman Ash's ex-wife? Well, who else would it be BigJ? What other woman in this story is named Denise? While my mind tries to punish me, think about what could happen next and what might transpire between the two women in the next chapter. I might even have to read a dictionary to find out what transpire means. So I'll see you in a week for the next installment. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **Hey it's me! America!**

 **-Ricky Bobby**


	5. Miss Adventure

**TDBigJ's message:** Hey guys, what's been shakin'? How's the last 7 days, one week, 168 hours… (Stop being mathematical BigJ!) Yeah, I should probably stop. The voice inside my head is telling me to. I've had a pretty busy week. I helped my middle brother move out of his old apartment a bit. Not everything just some little stuff. I got a new job coach (Who I already like) and I feel like I could be getting closer to work. Seriously, I want to work. This 22 year old needs to get going with his life and become independent. But when I say work, you guys think that I might not have time for stories. Well, that's not true. I can juggle a job and writing stories. A lot of fanfiction authors seem to be able to do that so why can't I? But I should note that when I do get a job that updates probably won't be frequent. I should probably say they just won't be weekly. I'll do my best when I get a job to make time for fanfiction, because I love entertaining you guys, especially my most loyal readers. If you guys want to tell me anything, just send me a PM, I won't bite. If you ever want to talk, just send me a PM. I'm open to conversation. This would be a good idea for when I have a job and need to tell you guys topics regarding my stories. Let's get to the responding of reviews, because I'm pretty sure you guys want to know what I think of your most recent one.

 **Espeon44:** Sorry if the last chapter seemed weird. I honestly felt like I kind of rushed it. Thanks for the review!

 **Wolves22 (Guest #1):** Yeah, she's my favorite female in the WWE. Glad you liked the chapter. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #2:** Yeah, I guess I could have done that, but I honestly felt more comfortable with an OC. Thanks for the review!

 **Oliverqueen01:** I'm glad it's the main event too, but I heard earlier today that it might not be. Thank goodness you are back to writing. That news made my day. Bonding moments kind of make or break a story don't they? You will find out how the meeting between Serena and Denise will go. Thanks for the review!

 **Jpr123:** Sorry if the chapter's are too short, but I like to make them at least a 4,000 word minimum. But I'm glad you like the chapter. Here is that new chapter. Thanks for the review!

 **Roger1119:** Well you will find out her reaction this chapter. I plan on making her tell him, I don't think Serena would keep something to herself but how do I know? I'm just the writer for this story, not the anime. Thanks for the review!

 **ManleyTogekiss:** Yeah, I know he did. Sorry if I confused you. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #1:** I don't think there will be a catfight. I don't think Serena would ever do that. Yes, we must all hope for Amourshipping to become canon. The crossover fic will be out over the weekend, just stay with me. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** Yeah, I thought that would be a good place for Ash to take his kids and Serena. Just to show them a little memory of his. You will see Serena and Denise's conversation this chapter. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** So one of the places you thought they would go was correct. Good job! You're right. There probably won't be much battling if at all in this story. What I can tell about Serena and Denise's interaction is that it won't be violent, it will be just a sincere conversation. Like I said above, I don't think Serena would ever get in a catfight. I couldn't imagine her doing so. Ash releasing Greninja seems upsetting. Ash releasing the first water type of his that evolved is kind of a shocker. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** I know, most or all 4 or 5 year olds misbehave in the car, but I thought I would do the rarity of them actually being well behaved. A parakeet stole your pills? Uh oh, got to get them back, unless you want to be insane forever. HA HA! Yeah, I'll eat goldfish. Have a good snack while I'm typing. Yep, you certainly are mad. Thanks for the review!

 **Darkaura808:** Yep, Denise will be in this chapter, if you didn't know that already. The Big Bang Theory as my inspiration? Not really but it did make me appreciate science a lot more. *Cue Ash yelling: SCIENCE IS SO AMAZING!* I think Sheldon will probably propose to Amy by the end of this season. Thanks for appreciating the last chapter. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and… whoever else.**

The sun was rising on a calm and brisk day, and our World Champion was sound asleep, snoozing the time away. His partner was a couple feet away from him on the other side of the bed, also sleeping soundly. The shades were shut so any sun trying to sneak it's way in would be abruptly halted.

The alarm clock was a couple minutes away from setting off but for our dynamic duo they were heavy sleepers so being awoken by the loud sound was slim. Ash had always been a heavy sleeper but not Pikachu. Pikachu was a light sleeper but became a heavy one at around the same time that his buddy became World Champion. It was mainly due to the fact that Ash had started training his Pokemon a lot more and a lot harder, especially Pikachu. Pikachu trained so hard whenever the time for training arose that it made him sleep a lot more than usual and less likely to be awakened by loud noises. Ash on the other hand had always been a heavy sleeper, ever since his younger days. He trained furiously all the time and he would sleep the morning away if he had to because of the rigorous amount of training that he did.

The alarm blared off but neither of our heroes was awoken by it. It would take at least a good minute for the alarm to wake either of them up. It wasn't until exactly a minute later that at least Pikachu woke up. He opened his eyes slowly and stretched his little arms out. He walked over to his trainer and placed both his paws on his forehead and tried to shake him awake. After thirty seconds of doing so Ash awoke. Realizing that the alarm was still going off he slammed his fist down on it, making it stop. He sat up, eyes opening slightly. His vision was a little blurry, you know, usual wake up state. He took his right hand and rubbed his eyes, hoping to rub away some of the blur and any crust that was in them. He opened his eyes again and saw that most of the blur was gone but some of it was still there. For example, he couldn't see his clothes from where he was sitting. Luckily he knew that Pikachu was next to him, seeing his yellow mouse shaped form.

He leaned over the right side of his bed and saw Bulbasaur just waking up. He leaned down and rubbed the leaf dinosaur's head. Bulbasaur in the last few years had started living with Ash in his house, since none of Ash's Pokemon made a scene in Oak's lab anymore, Bulbasaur no longer needed to be the ambassador there to calm any rifts between not only Ash's Pokemon, but other trainer's Pokemon as well. Yeah, it wasn't just Ash's Pokemon that caused a scene.

Ash thought about the other Pokemon he had and what they had been through the years. A few of his Pokemon had not evolved since he caught them a long time ago, but did it bother him? Of course not. Ash had always thought that no matter what evolutionary stage a Pokemon was at, it could get stronger any way it could, even without evolving. All his Pokemon could evolve because they had more than one evolutionary stage, but that didn't concern Ash. Bulbasaur was one of the few that didn't evolve, but Bulbasaur was one of his strongest Pokemon despite lacking experience in evolving, but Ash had put a good amount of training into Bulbasaur that Bulbasaur could be considered the strongest first evolutionary stage Pokemon in the world. Buizel was another one of his Pokemon that didn't evolve but just like Bulbasaur, was a very tough Pokemon for his level. Buizel was very strong when Ash had him on his Sinnoh journey but he had gotten a lot tougher since then and beat almost all maximum evolution Pokemon with at least five hits or less.

Then there were his Pokemon who had evolved in the last sixteen years. Squirtle was one of them. Squirtle had now evolved up to Blastoise. Squirtle became a Blastoise just a few years ago and was Ash's strongest water type. Nearly all of Ash's water type Pokemon had evolved. Ash admitted that not having one water type Pokemon evolve on his journey up until Greninja was one of his weak points. Sure, a lot of his water type Pokemon were strong but he couldn't train them hard enough to the point that they would evolve (If they had any evolutionary stages). He didn't know why that after 6 or 7 water types caught (Or obtained) that finally one of them evolved. But why was it that after finally having a water type of his evolved that he released it? Letting go of Greninja was a hard moment for him. It was for the best though. But it was a hard pill for him to swallow just thinking back on that day. It was just as painful when he let his first dragon type, Goodra, go as well, but that was for the best as well. He had to let go of Goodra for a reason.

Back to the subject, water types were the only types of Pokemon that he obtained throughout his journey up until Kalos that didn't evolve. He had a grass, fire, flying, and almost every other type evolve throughout his journey. But he was a Pokemon master now, evolving was not a problem now, but was evolving really on Ash's mind when he trained his Pokemon? He looked down at Pikachu. He was the only one of his Pokemon that he DIDN'T want to evolve. Pikachu had made a lot of memories with Ash as just a Pikachu and Ash didn't want to waste those memories by making him evolve, so he never hesitated to not use that thunderstone that he was given (That then got obtained by Team Rocket and they did who the hell knows what with it). He only wish he knew what happened to that thunderstone, but why did he care? If he ever found another one, he would just throw it to the side like a worthless piece of scrap metal. It was good to know that Pikachu's could only evolve by thunderstone and not just by working hard. Pikachu evolving was out of the question. Ash never wanted his best friend to become a Raichu someday, not in a million years. Pikachu himself even didn't want to evolve. He had gotten pretty damn strong as just a Pikachu and he didn't want that to carry over to his final evolutionary stage. He felt as that would be starting all over again. Not as in training in becoming stronger, but his memories with his buddy. If Pikachu ever did evolve (Which he won't), his memories as a Pikachu would be just that: Memories.

Ash really valued all the experience his Pokemon had gained over the years. They were the toughest of the tough, not trying to brag or anything, but Ash couldn't have asked for a better team to fight alongside with. He wouldn't trade his team for anything in the world, not even for the biggest banquet that would fill his stomach.

Ash respected the life he lived. He didn't cherish it (Besides his kids and Pokemon). He did live a life of luxury but Ash was not one to relish in it every second of his life. He didn't thrive off of his success and didn't take all the credit for the victories he achieved. Many of his fans and people in general considered him a class act. Someone who doesn't bathe themselves in their glory and their success should be considered that.

Ash got up and went over and opened the shades to let in the shining Saturday morning sun. It wasn't too bright which was okay with Ash. The sun reminded him of his recent trip to the Orange Islands with his kids and Serena.

That trip was just a couple weeks ago. It had to have been one of the most cherished vacations he had been on in ever. Spending it with the three most important people in his life made it the best. They visited the old stadium that he battled inside in the Orange League, the gyms he challenged there, and many of the old sights that he saw while he was there as a kid. Luckily the disposable cameras came in handy as they were able to get some memories of the trip. Yep, it was one for the photo albums.

Ash went downstairs into the living room and turned on the tv. It was 7:38 so the kids weren't up yet so he thought he would see what's on this early in the morning. This was his usual routine on a day off. He usually would stay downstairs and watch tv for about an hour before getting ready for the day. Hey, a world champion needed to lay back and relax too.

He turned it to the morning news. He watched it for a few minutes but nothing newsworthy or of Ash's interest came on so he turned it to one of the channels that aired game shows this time of day. There were a few of those that caught Ash's attention. He was a man that liked to expand beyond his deepest passions. He looked at the clock on the tv. The kids wouldn't be out of bed for another hour and a half so he had time to do whatever. Pikachu probably went back to sleep after Ash left the room. He usually did that most of the time, but it didn't bother Ash, he was his best friend after all.

But Ash spoke (Or thought) that too soon, as the yellow rodent came trotting down the stairs slowly without Ash's notice. He walked over to his trainer and jumped up onto the couch, his trainer finally catching his presence. He smiled and rubbed the top of Pikachu's head as Pikachu walked over and laid down on Ash's lap. Apparently Pikachu wanted to catch some more sleep but with the view of his trainer. The electric mouse sure was something wasn't he? With Pikachu in his lap resting away some more, Ash couldn't help but think that this is somewhat of an action that a Pokemon that was more of a pet would do. He never wanted to call Pikachu a pet but Pikachu didn't mind it. Ash actually called him that once and Pikachu didn't get angry. Ash thought that Pikachu would either thunderbolt him or whack him in the back of the head with an iron tail. Pikachu wasn't too keen on the idea of being called a pet either, but if he was called that, he wouldn't care. Tristan and Bellamy often referred to Pikachu as a pet, but that was how they treated him as on a daily basis. He wasn't their Pokemon and he didn't train with them, so they kind of saw Pikachu as a pet, and Pikachu was perfectly fine with it. Besides, Tristan and Bellamy were the only ones who would call Pikachu a pet, as Ash never saw his buddy that way. Wouldn't it be weird to call a strong and fierce battling Pokemon a pet?

Ash flipped through the many channels while his current show was in a commercial. Pikachu was snoozing away on his best friend's lap, not even caring for what Ash was watching or doing on the tv. Ash wanted to get up and make some coffee, but he didn't want to wake Pikachu. Pikachu wasn't in a deep sleep but it was one where Ash thought that Pikachu might want to get a good amount of shut eye before the day started.

A good hour passed by. It was now a quarter to nine, and Ash had been watching his show the whole time. It was a decent show, but not something that he watched every day but rather on most days. Bulbasaur now came down the stairs and laid under Ash's legs (That were on the coffee table). Bulbasaur had gotten his sleep and kept his eyes open and glued to the tv. He was interested in what Ash was watching and kept focus on it. Pikachu suddenly awoke and saw his other friend below from where he was sleeping and jumped down off of Ash's lap to meet him. That gave Ash the cue to get up and make some coffee.

After getting his morning joe, Ash had decided to go upstairs and get ready for the day. The kids were still asleep, even though it was almost nine. That was the time they usually got up. Oh well, he went to go prepare himself. Maybe they would get up while he was showering.

Ash showered and put on his attire for the day. He wore a grey long sleeve shirt, jeans, and black slip on shoes. Ash had gotten past his short sleeved attire that he normally wore on his journeys when he was young. The weather wasn't nice out all the time (Although it was today), so he thought he would switch it up now that he wasn't travelling around all the time. He went downstairs to grab his cup of coffee. Luckily, the stimulating brown liquid was still warm so it was drinkable. He looked over at the tv and saw that Tristan and Bellamy had gotten up and had turned the channel to one of their favorite shows they usually watched. He walked over into the living room. They were still in their pajamas so they must have gotten up just shortly ago.

"Hey, when did you two get up?" Ash asked.

Tristan and Bellamy were startled when their dad's voice rang from behind them. They didn't bother looking around since they knew he was there.

"Um, about five minutes ago." Bellamy answered.

Ash's question was now answered. His kids hadn't been up very long so they must have risen from their beds the moment he got dressed. It was now twenty after nine, so them getting up at this time was unusual.

"Well, you two can watch for another ten minutes then you have to go upstairs and get dressed, okay?" Ash stated.

"Yes daddy." Tristan replied.

"Bellamy?"

"Yes daddy." Bellamy replied.

"All right." He then bent down and pecked both of his kids on the cheek and went back into the kitchen.

Ash was happy that he had the opportunity to be a father. But being a single father was kind of hard. It wasn't hard but it wasn't a walk in the park either. For the most part he had his kids around a lot mainly because Denise's schedule was jam packed almost all the time and she didn't really have any time available for the two of them so he had them pretty much ninety percent of the time. They only saw their mother at most once every two weeks but that would be it. That's basically like twice a month. Tristan and Bellamy really wanted to see their mother more often but with the job she had she couldn't really do it. Not seeing their mother on a frequent basis was why they wanted their dad to get married again… and also why they wanted Serena to be their new mom, because it seemed like she didn't have a lot going on so she would have a lot of free time to spend with them.

Ash was sipping his coffee and was on his tablet in the kitchen looking at everything he normally looked at, like emails from Professor Oak or Gary, news about upcoming Pokemon events, anything that caught his attention. His kids thought they would just go upstairs now and get dressed and save the time.

"You guys can come back down and watch once you're done." Ash called out as his kids rubbed their eyes to get any sleep out of them.

Pikachu came over and hopped up onto the counter. Bulbasaur had gone back upstairs to do who knows what. Pikachu walked over to Ash to see what he was looking at. Suddenly, a knock was heard at the door. Who could be here at this time already?

"It's open." Ash called out. The door opened, showing that Serena had been the "culprit".

"Knock knock!" She playfully said as she walked in.

"Hey Serena, what brings you here this early?" Ash asked.

"I got up pretty early this morning and I thought I would pop over since I haven't been here in a few days." She explained. "Sorry if I'm intruding."

"Oh, you're not intruding. It's fine." Ash replied.

"Where are the kids at? Are they up?"

"Yeah, they're up. They're just upstairs getting dressed."

"Are you planning to go anywhere today?" Serena asked, as she sat down in one of the chairs at the counter.

"Not really. Why?"

"Just curious." Serena responded, rubbing the top of Pikachu's head when he walked over to her.

"I might go somewhere later. Haven't really thought of anywhere yet or given it some thought." Ash stated.

"Oh, I see. I don't really have anywhere to go either. Just thought I'd ask."

"If I do think of anywhere, you're more than welcome to tag along."

"Sounds good."

Ash's kids had quickly gotten dressed and had come down the stairs. They ran over to Serena once they saw her. They hugged her legs since they couldn't reach up.

"You kids done?" Ash asked.

"Yes dad." They replied simultaneously.

"Serena, what are you doing here?" Tristan asked.

"Just thought I'd pop over here while I had the time. Kind of wanted to see you all since I haven't been here in a few days."

"Hey, we're watching something on the tv. You want to watch with us?" Bellamy asked.

"I would like to, but let me talk to your dad first." Serena responded. The kids then ran over to the living room and jumped up onto the couch. "I'll be there in a few minutes to be with you guys."

"I'm guessing they really want to know you a lot more." Ash stated.

"Since they know I used to travel with you, they probably want to ask me so many questions. But yeah, you're right. I've gotten to know them but not vice versa. I think it's time I gave them some answers." Serena explained.

"One thing I'm wanting to know is why they're so keen on you being in their lives. That raises some questions in my head for some reason." Ash stated.

"You know, me too. I haven't figured that out yet." Serena said. Although that was kind of a lie. She knew why they were interested in her being in their lives. It was as clear as day to her, and if you caught the hints, you would know too.

"Hey Ash, can I ask you something about the kids?"

"Shoot."

"What do you think when they go on their own journeys someday? What impact will that have on you?"

Ash took a deep breath before answering. "I will be hurt that they won't be home anymore but like me they have to follow their dreams. I don't control what they do or what they desire. I would like to accompany them on their journey but with me being Pokemon World Champion and having to take on challengers almost often I don't think I will have the time. But I think from what I've showed them when they see me battle they will know what to do when their journeys start years down the road.

"How different do you think they are from other kids their age?"

"They don't seem to act their age for one. They're actually well behaved and they're smart. They seem to have a good attention span. I mean, it's not much better than most kids their age but it's decent enough for them to know to process at least some of the information and visuals they see." Ash explained.

"I see. Your kids seem to have grown a bit in just a few years. I'm proud of them." Serena commented.

"I'm pretty sure they would love to hear that."

After that, Serena got up from her seat and went over to the couch and sat down next to Tristan and Bellamy to watch tv with them. Ash smiled as he saw his childhood friend interact with his kids. He saw why they adored her so much.

A few hours later, Serena had to leave. But Ash's kids were reluctant to have her leave.

"Aww, but we don't want you to go." Bellamy whined, hugging Serena's leg.

Serena bent down and hugged Bellamy back. "I know. But it's getting late and I have to see how my Pokemon are doing. Who knows what party they've been throwing while I've been gone."

Bellamy and Tristan laughed at what Serena had just said. They knew she was joking. Serena must have swore, these kids had the intelligence of a teenager, if you thought teenagers were smart.

"Don't worry, I'll come back soon. Who knows? Maybe I'll come back tomorrow." She stated.

"Will you?" Bellamy asked.

"I'll think about it. But I love you guys, so it's a good possibility."

Tristan and Bellamy blushed when she said she loved them, only making them hope she would be their new mother even more. She obviously was the mother figure they'd admired to have.

"Just trust me, I'll come over a lot to see you guys. I couldn't live with myself if I stopped. I'll be back over soon, okay?"

Bellamy looked down, but she was still smiling. "Okay."

"All right." Serena said, then rubbing them both on the heads. "I'll see you guys soon."

She opened the door and walked out, waving goodbye. She started making their way home. While on the walk home, she thought about how often she visited Ash and his kids. It had been the third time in five days. She didn't want to overdo it. But Ash seemed to be fine with it. He actually liked having her come over quite often. She was his childhood friend after all. He knew her longer than anybody (Besides his mother).

Ten minutes later, she made it halfway home. It was 5:39 in the evening and the streets weren't as crowded as they were when she made her way over earlier today. She looked at her watch to find out how long she was over there.

"Geez, four hours. I feel like my visits are getting longer. I hope I'm not bugging Ash too often for too long." She said to herself. She wondered what her Pokemon had been up to since she left. Since her visits got longer she had been leaving them alone longer than she had ever been. Maybe one of these times she'd have to bring them over to Ash's so she wouldn't be worried.

But almost immediately, she bumped into somebody, which jolted her back to reality. She looked at the person she bumped into. It was a woman, maybe a few inches taller than her and she appeared slim with long curly brown hair.

"I'm so sorry about that. I should have watched where I was going." Serena said.

The woman raised her hands in the air. "It's no big deal. I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going either."

"Well, I guess we're both to blame here." Serena stated.

"Yeah, I would have to agree."

Serena held out her hand. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? The name is Serena."

The woman shook Serena's hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Denise."

It was at that moment that Serena was shocked on the inside. Was this THE Denise that was Ash's ex-wife? She had no clue. Ash had never shown her any pictures of her so she didn't know if this was the exact Denise. There were many Denises out there so it was a fat chance that this was the one.

"Say, you look familiar. I have a feeling I've seen you somewhere before." Denise stated. Maybe this might have been the one.

"I'm not sure. I've never met you before." Serena replied.

"I could have swore I've seen you before, but I just can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's-"

But the next thing was bound to shock Serena even more, because it was the moment of truth.

"Oh wait! Now I know. My ex-husband Ash Ketchum used to travel with you." Denise stated.

Yep. This was in fact THE Denise that happened to be Ash's ex-wife with that confirmation.

"So you used to be Ash's ex-wife huh? I'm sorry. I'll get out of your hair."Serena said and started walking away, but was immediately stopped by Denise.

"Now I didn't say I didn't want to meet you."

"Wait, what?"

"My husband used to speak so highly of you when he and I were married. Sometimes more than me, but that doesn't mean I resent you." Denise stated.

"You don't?"

"Of course not. I'm not that kind of person. Come on. Let's find somewhere to sit and talk." Denise said as she turned the other way and waved her hand to motion Serena to follow. Serena was a little perplexed. This Denise seemed nice, maybe she wasn't that much different than Ash. Once they sat down on a nearby bench, Denise started the conversation.

"So Serena, what was it like travelling with Ash?"

"Well, it was the best time of my life. My whole journey when I was young was started because of him. When I saw him jump off of Lumiose Tower and recognized him, I went off on my journey and I tried to find him. When I did, he invited me to travel alongside him and his two friends." Serena explained.

"Wow, that's amazing! Your journey must have been something with him wasn't it?"

"It was. I owe everything to him for what I've learned." Serena replied. "So, what was it like being married to him?"

"He was and still is a great guy. I was that lucky girl that got married to the World Champion. It was great for the most part. I even got to write about his battles." Denise explained.

"You WERE lucky to be married to him. Ash is the most remarkable guy I've ever known. It must have been an honor to be his wife for you." She commented.

"Yeah. It was."

Serena took a deep breath before asking the next important question. "Not that it's any of my business, but why did you two split?"

"It's just that… we didn't click anymore. We had gotten past the point of being compatible with one another. It was nothing personal, but our romance just wasn't there for us anymore, so that's why we divorced. Besides, my job of being a journalist and going all around the world doing so also got in the way. But it was on good terms so that part was okay I guess." Denise explained.

"Nothing personal… That's what Ash said." Serena stated.

"Really, he said that?"

"Yeah."

Denise looked down and smiled. "That's Ash for you. Always genuine."

"So you're a journalist, huh?"

"Yeah. And believe it or not, I still write about Ash's battles." Denise looked down at her watch. "Well, I better get going. I'm going to see my kids for the first time in a few weeks."

"Oh, well, you go have a good time with them. They're great kids by the way." Serena commented.

"Wait, you've actually met my kids?"

"Yeah, I just came from there actually."

Denise's smile returned. "They are great kids. I know Ash has raised them well since we divorced, so it's good to know that they've stuck to the behavior him and I taught them."

"Yep. It is."

"Hey it was great to meet you. I'll see you around sometime?" Denise asked.

Serena smiled. "Of course. See you around."

"Bye."

And with that they went their separate ways. Ash sure was married to a great girl. It was a shame they divorced, but at least the two of them were still good friends. Serena loved how much Ash made an impact on everybody he met, and it warmed Serena's heart just at the thought of it.

Yep. Ash really was remarkable.

 **Author's note:** Well that's a breath of fresh air. Denise is not a… (Dare I say it) ah, I'm not going to. I need to keep my language less vulgar. Seriously, if you knew me, my language can get a little out of hand. But don't worry, nothing that's an insult comes out of my mouth. Anyway, Denise seems like a tolerable woman. Kind of makes you wonder why her and Ash divorced. Well actually, she explained it this chapter (And Ash back in chapter 2). Their conversation went well. Denise really had nothing against Serena for knowing her ex-husband. Sorry about the beginning of the chapter. I felt I dragged it on too long without really any speech from a character. Sorry if that bugged you. What did you guys think of Denise? The chapter? Let me know in your reviews, but only if you want. While I catch my breath, read the preview.

Ash came back into the room with two mugs of tea. He handed one to Serena, who gladly took it and took a small sip.

"So when do you think the kids will be back?" Serena asked.

"They probably won't be back for another couple of hours. They like being with my mom almost as much as they like being at home with me." Ash responded.

"How is your mom doing these days. I haven't seen her in ages."

"She's doing great. She doesn't have me at home to take care of anymore but she loves seeing the kids every so often at she can kind of take care of them when they visit." Ash explained.

"Your mom must be very proud of you with what you've accomplished in so long." Serena commented.

"She is. She told me the day I became world champion was that she was proud to be my mother and that I achieved my dream. Besides my kids, my mom means everything to me. I'm thankful for everything she did while I was growing up. Even when I wasn't home on my journeys, she would always support me from home and give me some kind words whenever I contacted her from other regions. She's still the responsible and caring mother I had growing up and I'm happy that she has been there for me and my kids."

Serena smiled. "I'm glad you value your mother so much."

"How has your mother been these days?" Ash asked.

"She's still living over in Kalos, but I keep in good contact with her every so often just to let her know I'm doing okay. She did tell me she was planning on moving back here to Kanto one of these days to be closer to me." Serena explained.

"So your mom is not racing Rhyhorns anymore?"

"No. She hasn't raced in years. She's basically retired now, just tending to our Rhyhorn and the house. I'll be glad once she moves back here. I miss seeing her every day." She said as she took another sip of tea.

"Yeah, it's been a while since I've seen your mom. Not since our journey when we were younger have I seen her. I would like to know how she's doing in person."

"I can tell you this that she has been following what you've been up to since you became a Pokemon master. Although not to the extent of me but she has been keeping up with you normally." She explained.

"That warms my heart. It seems your mom respects me quite a bit." Ash commented as he took a sip of tea. "Anyway, there was something I wanted to ask you, and it's very important."

"Go ahead Ash. I'm all ears."

"I did realize something from when we were kids that I didn't see then but I do now, and I feel like I should have done something that day, and I feel bad for not capitalizing on it, but I feel like now would be a good time now that I've got the opportunity."

"What is it?"

"Just promise to hear me out, okay? I'm wanting to owe you something that I never got around to doing a long time ago, and I want to make it right."

 **Author's note:** Oh boy. What do you think Ash is going to ask her? I'm not going to spoil anything but the only thing I can tell you what it's not going to be is him asking her to be his girlfriend. We're not quite there yet. Not this early. What do you guys think it will be? I'll leave you a hint: It's something that they never got to do in a certain episode of XYZ. Although I think that's a big enough hint to let you guys know what it will be. But are you right? Well, we'll see. As you guys converse and argue over what it is, I'll be grabbing a coke and some chips watching you guys do your debate. The answer will be revealed in the next chapter and see if you guys are right. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **I made you laugh. That's my biggest victory today."**

 **-Brock, Pokemon the Movie 3: Spell of the Unown**


	6. Nervous Shakedown

**TDBigJ's message:** *Man, I've got a severe headache* Uh, oh, hey guys. What's happening. Don't mind my headache, I just headbutted a bald guy. And if you're wondering if I knocked him out… yes, yes I did. Do you guys believe this? Okay, I don't blame you if you don't. I didn't really have a headache and I really didn't headbutt a bald guy. I would never resort to violence. Only professional wrestlers and boxers do that, and I wouldn't want to be either. Yeah, no severe injuries for me thank you. Yeah, had another job interview today. Same place as my last one. I felt like I did a lot better this time around. Regarding the anime, yep, XY/Z is over (at least in Japan), it's still on here in America. I saw the ending of the last episode, and I just want to say that AMOURSHIPPING IF F***ING CANON! OH THANK GOD! I can't believe Serena finally had the courage to kiss Ash. We got some closure. I sure hope that this is not the last we see Serena in the anime, which I don't think it will be, but I can't be too sure, but if we've seen past companions of Ash meet up with him in a series, I'm pretty sure we'll see Serena again. Cross your fingers. While I celebrate, let's get to the responding of reviews.

 **Wolves22 (Guest #1):** Whatever it was, I'm sorry. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** I know. Thank heavens. Thanks for the review!

 **Oliverqueen01:** Yeah, I watched it a few days ago, and let's just say, I'm freaking surprised. A hug was what I was expecting but I'm glad I was wrong. Serena did it. She finally did it. Don't worry about watching it that many times, I would too. Thanks for the review!

 **Dj (Guest #2):** Okay, I don't understand…

 **Guest #3:** Glad you did! Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #4:** Thanks! I will.

 **Darkaura808:** Amourshippers unite is right! The rant is fine, don't worry. And you didn't spoil it for me. I watched the clip earlier this week (Which was after your review). Glad you think I didn't drag the beginning too long last chapter. I will consider those suggestions. I haven't really watched the last few episodes of Big Bang either, so I don't really know what has happened recently. It doesn't matter to me that your reviews are long, doesn't bother me in the least. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #5:** Well, we'll see won't we. As stated above, I have watched the last episode, great ending wasn't it. If it was at their feet, it had to have been on the lips, although I can't be too sure. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** It's good that you didn't mind the beginning of the last chapter. Yeah, I like how Denise and Serena reacted. Well, your guess being correct is anyone's guess. It could be anything. Are you right? We'll see. Although you are right when you brought up the kiss part. Thanks for the review!

 **ManleyTogekiss:** Who's Troy? The latter question, I'll figure that out as the story goes. Thanks for the review!

 **Roger1119:** Well, we'll see. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #6:** Yep. I did in fact see the clip. I was touched. And the crossover fic has been posted, although you already know. I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** Yeah, I wouldn't eat a goldfish. Ech! Be'd too gross. Not a parakeet either. I'd rather not burp feathers and they're wet. Yeah, I'm sorry things are going too smoothly in this story. I really don't want this story to end up like Chapter seven of Love You Now, Love You Always to you. I know how that went. I could add a stressful moment for one of them, I will find a way to squeeze one in here and there. That last part is a good idea, thanks for bringing it up. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and… whoever else.**

The day was now Friday, and a lot of people were using this day to either catch up on work or just to relax. There were actually some people out training their Pokemon for a battle with either someone else or an upcoming gym battle. The people who were meant to be busy, were busy today, but not everybody decided to work today.

Tristan and Bellamy were out in the backyard, playing with a few of Ash's Pokemon, Pikachu being one of them (Obviously). Bulbasaur was another one of them also due to the fact that he lived at the mansion. Another one that was out back with them was Bayleef. Bayleef was one of Ash's most good-natured Pokemon and was always a ball for the kids. When Ash was young, Bayleef had always panicked whenever she wasn't with Ash because she was one of the Pokemon that loved being around him. Bayleef was a great battler too, but was always the pacifist when not in battle. Since Bulbasaur had left the lab a few years back, Bayleef had become the ambassador back at Oak's lab for all of Ash's Pokemon. Bayleef had done a superb job at it as well, although not as good as Bulbasaur did when he had the tenure of doing it.

Ash would take a visit to Oak's lab once every week to check up on how his Pokemon were holding up without him being around them all the time. They were always doing pretty well because he knew they were in good hands with Professor Oak and Gary. The two of them knew what they were doing because they had been working at that lab for ages. Ash was happy that Professor Oak was still working at the lab despite his age. Professor Oak was now in his seventies and was starting to show his age but hardly at all. Oak was still knowledgeable today and did not show any signs of slowing down soon. Gary had starting working full time at his grandfather's lab since he was twelve years old and had travelled the world collecting research for him year by year. He had been a big help to not only his grandfather but to Ash as well. Since the two had became friends and put their rivalry behind them when they were young, Gary did everything he could to help give Ash a little edge by the research he collected and what he did for Ash's Pokemon. The research helped out his Pokemon be a lot better than they already were and helped Ash out with the Pokemon that his opponents used in battle against him, knowledge that Ash didn't already know.

The kids had been throwing around a Frisbee to each other and the Pokemon that were present for the last half hour. If there was one thing that the kids liked doing with the Pokemon other than watching them battle was having some fun with them on off days as well. The Pokemon enjoyed it as well. It was relaxing and a good break from battling all the time. The two month trip around the world that Ash had gone on most recently had really worn them out. Ash had done so many battles during that time he had to have used each of his Pokemon at least ten times each. Battling sure was dedicated work for both the Pokemon and Ash. Ash had to come up with strategies for each of his battles and that was hard work itself. Being World Champion took it's toll on everybody but that's what you had to do to stay the best.

Ash had looked on at this at the back door. Seeing his kids have a good time with his Pokemon was a sight to see. Ash had told the kids many stories about training each one of his Pokemon growing up and what work they had gone through over the years. His children especially loved the stories about Charizard. The part they loved the most was when Charizard was disobedient and barbequed Ash every chance he got, the kids found that funny, but Ash let it go since nowadays he thought that was pretty funny too. Sure it was at his expense, but Ash was willing to laugh at himself. Would you have a good sense of humor if you didn't?

Ash enjoyed watching his kids get along with his Pokemon, but the one playing with them now, Bayleef, was the one he liked seeing them hang out with the most. Bayleef was the most playful one out of all his Pokemon. Bayleef was still the same Pokemon from when Ash first caught her back in Johto when he was young. When he was young, Bayleef was so attached to Ash and still is today, although she spent more time with the kids when they came around. Bulbasaur was the same as well. Bulbasaur liked spending time with the kids and that reason specifically was why Ash had brought Bulbasaur over from the lab a few years back to stay with him from now on. Bulbasaur had basically since then had switched from being the ambassador for his Pokemon to the ambassador for his kids whenever they got into a disagreement, which wasn't often but whenever they fought Bulbasaur was there to resolve it. Ash was proud of Bulbasaur for the problem solver he had been over the years. Ash had never had a trustworthy Pokemon (Other than Pikachu) that helped Ash with non-battle related problems. Bulbasaur did still have to resolve problems with Ash's Pokemon back at the lab every now and then when he visited there or left Bulbasaur for some time. Every one of Ash's Pokemon had a significant trait about them not battle related that made them unique.

Pikachu was out back with them as well. Whenever Tristan or Bellamy threw the Frisbee he would lightly hit it with an iron tail back towards the thrower. Bayleef thought she would be a little more playful and used razor leaf to create a little wind to give it some difficulty. Tristan and Bellamy didn't find it annoying at all. They knew she was trying to play around. Ash smiled and giggled while watching this whole thing. He looked at his watch and it was five thirty. Ash decided it was time for them to come in.

Ash opened the sliding glass door and leaned out a bit. "Okay, you two it's time to come in. Wrap it up."

Bellamy grabbed the Frisbee out of the air. Tristan took out Bayleef's Pokeball and tried to send her back in but couldn't figure out how. Although they saw their dad use a Pokeball many times in battles, they never really saw how their dad sent his Pokemon back in their Pokeballs. Ash seeing this came out and got the Pokeball from Tristan and sent Bayleef back in her Pokeball.

"Sorry dad. I don't know how to do that yet." Tristan apologized.

Ash ruffled Tristan's hair. "Don't worry about it kiddo. It's fine. Let's go in."

The three of them plus Pikachu and Bulbasaur started making their way in. Bellamy nudged Tristan on the left arm.

"Nice job trying to get Bayleef back in." Bellamy said sarcastically.

"Oh get over it, you don't know how either." Tristan retorted.

"You two getting along fine back there?" Ash called from in front of them.

"Yes daddy." They both said.

"All right. Let's go get you two prepared for tomorrow. Remember what you're doing." Ash stated.

"Oh, yeah that's right." Bellamy said.

Ash closed his eyes and smiled. His kids were a colorful duo.

The following day had come around. Serena had gotten herself ready for the day already, and it was only eight thirty in the morning. She was planning to pay Ash a visit today. Normally she would call ahead and ask him if it was okay but today was going to be a little different. She was going to surprise visit him today.

It was a little warm out today so she put on a blue short sleeved v-neck and capris today. She didn't bother wearing shoes, at least not at the moment. She would pay Ash the visit a little later, possibly at one, since that felt like it was the best time.

She bent down and rubbed Pancham's head, who was laying on the floor below her, sleeping. He had came in and fell asleep after doing just so a few minutes before Serena came out here. Pancham wasn't usually much of a sleeper, more in the terms of taking a nap. At night sure, the usual, but not during the day, but he barely got any sleep last night with Braixen and Sylveon turning around on the floor constantly through the night. Pancham was the only male Pokemon of the three, but he was anything but a heavy sleeper. But due to his size, it was kind of obvious. Neither Braixen or Sylveon were heavy sleepers, which is why they had kept Pancham up almost every night with their turning and stretching. It was times he wished he had the sleep powder attack.

Serena leaned down and picked up Pancham off the floor and into her lap. She stroked the top of his head to soothe his nerves and to let him go back to sleep since she woke him up from picking him up.

"Look, I know you had a rough night. Just get your sleep, okay?" Serena whispered, trying to cradle her Pokemon back into the slumber it was just in. Serena liked doing this with Pancham. Pancham was the only Pokemon she could have rest in her lap since he was so small. Braixen and Sylveon were too big. They each took up at least one couch cushion. Serena didn't mind if they did but they didn't want to give her the burden, so they just stayed on the floor all the time. Pancham knew he had a one up on the other two, and he kind of enjoyed it. Braixen and Sylveon knew this as well and they weren't jealous at all, even though they sometimes do wish they were smaller. Serena had always carried Braixen around when she was a Fennekin, and she missed those days, but that was the past, and she was used to it. Serena started humming to try to let Pancham fall asleep faster, and it was working. Serena just had that voice that could ease anyone's or anything's nerves. She'd probably be able to calm a Gyrados down if she could.

Serena looked down at her Pokemon, who was now snoozing soundly on her lap. Serena was happy that she had at least one Pokemon that could do that. She was lucky that in sixteen years that Pancham didn't evolve. If he did… Do I really need to explain it?

A few hours later, Serena had left her three Pokemon alone as she went over to Ash's. Serena put some more trust in her Pokemon to behave while she was gone. It worked so far, and Serena didn't think it would dissolve anytime soon. They had been her Pokemon for a long time, she could trust them with anything.

Not very many people were out today, much to Serena's relief. Since it was a warm day out, most people were either sitting at home around their air conditioners or swimming in their pools.

Serena had made it to Ash's mansion and knocked on the front door. Although it was a thick door, Serena could clearly hear Ash from inside shout "It's open!" So with that confirmation, she opened the door and walked in. Ash noticed it was her as she walked in. As she entered, she saw that Ash was wearing just a blue t-shirt and swim trunks.

"Hey Serena. This is a surprise that you came today."

"Well that was my intention. I wanted to surprise you."

Ash chuckled. "Well, you surprised me all right."

Ash led her to the backyard where he was at before she came to the door. He dipped his foot in the pool to see if it was the right temperature. He didn't want it too cold, just the right to keep himself chilled in the water.

"Hey, I'm going to go for a swim. You don't mind do you?" Ash asked.

"Not at all. Go on ahead." Serena replied.

With that cue, Ash took off his blue shirt. But when he did, Serena saw Ash's build. He apparently had bigger biceps, toned pectorals, and a slight outline of abs. Had Ash been working out? Serena couldn't help but stare at Ash's unexpected muscular form. She was hypnotized by it. Ash took notice of her stare.

"Serena, are you okay?"

With that, Serena snapped back to reality, but her whole face was a deep crimson, partially due to embarrassment, partially due to amazement. Ash had just caught her looking at him, and she was embarrassed by her attraction to his muscular body.

Serena shook her head. "Oh y-yeah. I-I-I'm fine." Her blush was still red and clear as day though.

"Well, if you don't mind, I'm jumping in." And with that, Ash did a straight dive into the water. A few seconds later he emerged from under the water, with some of it splashing all over. Once he came back up, a thought came across his mind.

"Was Serena just staring at me?" He thought to himself. "Was she staring at my body?"

Ash, as stated before, wasn't dense anymore, so he knew when a girl ogled at him like that and what it meant. Denise used to do it when he was married to her, but now Serena was doing it. Why Serena? Serena wasn't attracted to him, was she?

He now laid backwards in the pool and started doing the backstroke. Serena giggled at this. No reason, she just giggled. Ash then came back towards the edge of the pool and got out.

But then, Serena once again got lost looking at Ash. Now that he got out of the pool, the water that remained on his body glistened as the sun shined on it. Serena's eyes got wide again, she covered her mouth, and moaned under her breath, once again blushing a deep crimson. She didn't know why she was so attracted to his body now. She didn't have a crush on him for that specific reason, but damn… Ash looked so drop dead gorgeous now.

But Ash once again saw her staring at him and raised an eyebrow. "Serena?"

Serena snapped out of her trance once more. She mentally slapped herself for doing this once again. "Yeah, what?"

"You doing okay? You're red again."

"Yeah. I'm fine I-It's n-nothing." Ash turned around, and then Serena slapped herself in the forehead a few times for behaving like that. She had never done that before. She didn't want to think like that right now, but her desires got in the way. She thought she would have to control that better. If she wanted to prevent Ash from knowing she had a crush on him, she needed to make sure he wasn't looking when she stared at him. But since he did, she felt like her deepest, innermost secret got just a little bit clearer to him. She didn't want to admit it, but she was hoping some of that density he once had would come back, then she would be safe, but she even knew that wouldn't happen, so she felt like she was in trouble a bit.

As Ash turned around to get back in the pool, but before he jumped back in, the thought rang in his mind again. He saw his childhood friend staring at him again. Was she attracted to him? The first time could have been considered hardly anything at all, but now that he saw her doing it twice, something had to have been up, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions. He dived back in the pool as soon as the thought left his mind. Once he was in, he turned around to Serena.

"Would you like to come in?" He asked.

"Oh, no thanks. Maybe I'll just put my feet in."

Ash dived down under the water as Serena sat down at the edge of the pool and took off her shoes and socks and placed her feet in the water. Ash splashed back up, water spewing everywhere, some of it hitting Serena.

Serena giggled. "Whoa, watch it."

"Sorry about that."

Serena wiped what water that hit her off of her face. "So, where are the kids?"

"They're with my mom today. They won't be back home until late tonight." Ash responded.

"Oh that's nice. But I was kind of wanting to see them today." That was true but Serena actually didn't mind being alone with Ash. She wanted this sixteen years ago, she still did now. Maybe with Tristan and Bellamy gone for the day, she wouldn't have to worry about them asking her about being their mom someday, which they seemed to do every time she visited. She didn't want to reject the idea, but she didn't want to hear it all the time.

"So I guess it's just us today then?"

"Yep."

"You know, I could come back tomorrow, when they're here." Serena stated. "I doubt you would want to be alone with me."

Ash just smiled. "It's okay. I don't mind being alone with you." That comment made Serena's heart flutter. He had just said he didn't mind being alone with her. She always wanted to hear that come from his mouth. It was touching.

"You really don't mind being alone with me?" She softly asked.

"Why wouldn't I be? I've known you for a long time so I'd be more than happy to spend my time just with you." He explained. Serena couldn't help but blush a little. Nowhere near as red as she was a few minutes ago but bright enough to be visible from up close.

"So where's Pikachu?"

"He's up sleeping in my room. He didn't want to come out in the pool with me."

"How come?"

"Well, he's an electric type, and I'm in water. If you put two and two together, you would understand why." Ash explained.

"Ah, got it."

Ash's smile then turned into a smirk. "You know, you really shouldn't have your feet in the water like that."

"Why?"

Ash then grabbed her right foot and yanked her in. She got up above water, but she was laughing nonetheless. She knew Ash was just being playful.

"That."

Serena smiled and then threw some water at him, which caused him to retaliate. This went on for a few minutes, both of them laughing while doing so, neither wanting to stop. I guess that's what you get for being playful.

A few minutes later they got out of the pool. Ash was in his trunks so being wet was fine, but Serena was a different story, since she was fully clothed. Ash went upstairs to fetch a couple of things to dry themselves off. A couple minutes later he had come down with a couple of towels.

"Here, take one of these to dry yourself off." Ash handed one of the towels to Serena, who took and dried her face off and then her hair.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine." She replied. "Although being in these wet clothes is kind of uncomfortable."

Ash thought of something. "Hold on, I'll go grab you something."

Ash went back upstairs to grab one more thing. When he returned downstairs, he had brought a dark blue bathrobe.

"Here. Go change into this. I'll throw your clothes into the dryer."

"Okay. Thanks."

Serena went into the nearby bathroom to change. Ash had dried himself off and put his shirt back on. He thought that since they were both probably a little cold from the water he would make some tea to warm them up. A couple minutes later Serena came out of the bathroom, now changed into the bathrobe and handed her wet clothes to Ash who went back upstairs for a third time and threw her clothes into the dryer. He went back downstairs when he was done. Serena was still drying her hair off because it was still a bit wet.

"Hey, I'm sorry I pulled you in like that." Ash apologized, feeling bad for his earlier actions.

Serena raised her hand in the air. "It's no big deal Ash. I knew you weren't doing it to be rude."

"Well, while you're waiting, you can go sit in the other room if you want. I'm making some tea so it'll be ready in a few minutes."

Serena made her way into the living and sat down on the couch. She was a little bit cold, but she could manage. She didn't even know Ash could make tea. She had never once seen him cook when they travelled together when they were younger because Clemont usually did. But tea was so easy to make, even Ash couldn't screw it up.

Ash came back into the room with two mugs of tea. He handed one to Serena, who gladly took it and took a small sip.

"So when do you think the kids will be back?" Serena asked.

"They probably won't be back for another couple of hours. They like being with my mom almost as much as they like being at home with me." Ash responded.

"How is your mom doing these days. I haven't seen her in ages."

"She's doing great. She doesn't have me at home to take care of anymore but she loves seeing the kids every so often at she can kind of take care of them when they visit." Ash explained.

"Your mom must be very proud of you with what you've accomplished in so long." Serena commented.

"She is. She told me the day I became world champion was that she was proud to be my mother and that I achieved my dream. Besides my kids, my mom means everything to me. I'm thankful for everything she did while I was growing up. Even when I wasn't home on my journeys, she would always support me from home and give me some kind words whenever I contacted her from other regions. She's still the responsible and caring mother I had growing up and I'm happy that she has been there for me and my kids."

Serena smiled. "I'm glad you value your mother so much."

"How has your mother been these days?" Ash asked.

"She's still living over in Kalos, but I keep in good contact with her every so often just to let her know I'm doing okay. She did tell me she was planning on moving back here to Kanto one of these days to be closer to me." Serena explained.

"So your mom is not racing Rhyhorns anymore?"

"No. She hasn't raced in years. She's basically retired now, just tending to our Rhyhorn and the house. I'll be glad once she moves back here. I miss seeing her every day." She said as she took another sip of tea.

"Yeah, it's been a while since I've seen your mom. Not since our journey when we were younger have I seen her. I would like to know how she's doing in person."

"I can tell you this that she has been following what you've been up to since you became a Pokemon master. Although not to the extent of me but she has been keeping up with you normally." She explained.

"That warms my heart. It seems your mom respects me quite a bit." Ash commented as he took a sip of tea. "Anyway, there was something I wanted to ask you, and it's very important."

"Go ahead Ash. I'm all ears."

"I did realize something from when we were kids that I didn't see then but I do now, and I feel like I should have done something that day, and I feel bad for not capitalizing on it, but I feel like now would be a good time now that I've got the opportunity."

"What is it?"

"Just promise to hear me out, okay? I'm wanting to owe you something that I never got around to doing a long time ago, and I want to make it right."

"What?"

Ash rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath. Serena knew what it meant when Ash rubbed the back of his neck. It meant he was nervous, but why would he be nervous around her? She didn't want to just automatically think of the obvious so she just let him ask.

"Remember the dance party we went to in Kalos?"

"Mmhm."

"I still remember that day clearly. The moment we were about to dance but then the music stopped, I saw how upset it made you. I may have not known it then but now I can see why you were."

"So what do you want to ask me?"

Ash rubbed the back of his neck once again. "There's a ball going on next Saturday night, and I just wanted to know… If you would like to go to it with me."

"Ash, are you serious?"

"Completely. So… will you?"

Now this was the opportunity that Serena was waiting for. She was in fact devastated when she couldn't dance with him when they were younger, but now she had her chance. It wasn't exactly a date, but it was just as good.

"Oh Ash, I would love to."

Ash smiled. "All right." The two of them clinked mugs. "It's a date."

Serena stopped bringing her mug up to her lips and slowly put it back down in her lap. He said the word: "Date". Did he really mean that? She probably thought that it was just a word that came out, but she also would've loved it to be. Ash took a drink of tea then looked at her, a concerned look came across his face.

"You okay?"

Serena put her head in her hand for a couple of seconds. "Oh yeah, yeah, I'm okay." She replied then took a drink.

Ash grabbed the remote that was on the table in front of him and flicked on the tv. "We got a lot of time left until the kids get back. Feel like doing anything?"

"Nah." She responded. "Let's just sit here and relax."

Ash put the remote back down on the table and placed his hand next to him on the couch. Serena did the same thing. But right when she put her hand down, she felt something warm. She looked down next to her and saw that her hand was on top of Ash's. She quietly gasped and retracted it, blushing a faint but visible red. Ash saw her do so, but he just smiled and chuckled, putting his focus back on the tv for the time being.

 **Author's note:** Ooh, small moment at the end there. But that's just one of many that will appear in this story, so get ready for it. I think this is the best chapter so far but I'm pretty sure my opinion is going to change as the story progresses for the next nine weeks. Nothing major has happened yet. I've got a lot more Amourshipping moments lying ahead and believe me when I say that. And also believe me when I say this, the next chapter is going to be pretty big. I've got a couple things planned for chapter seven. If you want to know what they are, or at least one of them, read the preview.

As the two of them danced, Serena realized that Ash wasn't really making a mistake. That was odd. When they were young, Ash had always been an unbalanced dancer. The guy had cinderblocks for feet it seemed like, but tonight, Ash had been flawless in his dancing. He must have improved over the years.

"Wow Ash, I've never seen you seen you dance this well. What changed?"

"Before Denise and I got married, I told her that I was a sloppy dancer, couldn't carry a move, so we took lessons every so often so I could better myself. When our wedding came around, I never once stumbled. I felt pretty good about myself for improving." Ash explained.

"Well, I'm proud of you Ash. You don't have a pair of left feet anymore." The two of them shared a laugh.

"Believe me, I even surprised myself."

Ash probably surprised everybody when they found out he could dance well. Although only her, Bonnie, and Clemont knew he couldn't dance well. But he did now and that's all that mattered.

After the current song was over, the two of them thought they would take a break for now. Ash went to the men's room while Serena went upstairs and went out on the balcony outside. She was on the second level so she had a nice view from where she was standing. The night sky was painted blue with little white crystals embezzling it, and there was a nice simple breeze that lightly blew Serena's hair. Serena had wished that she had brought her Pokemon along for this, they would enjoy this, but bringing Pokemon to the ball was forbidden so there wasn't a way she could do that.

She had been out there for five minutes and she was pretty sure that Ash was done using the men's room. Maybe he was looking for her. She didn't tell him where she was going but maybe she should have. But Ash was smart, he would look all over the place for her until he found her.

"Maybe I should go look for him and bring him back up here. Probably would be a good idea." She turned around but as soon as she did Ash had just appeared in the doorway.

"Hey, I was wondering where you went." Ash said.

"Sorry, I should have told you where I was going." She replied. He walked up to her at the railing of the balcony, looking out at the horizon. It was a nice view since there were no buildings they could see from where they were standing.

"Beautiful night out, isn't it?" Serena asked.

"Definitely." Ash responded.

"Thanks for bringing me here tonight. I'm having a great time." Serena stated.

Ash grabbed her left with his right and looked at her. "You're welcome. I'm having a great time too, especially since it's with you."

Serena faintly blushed a little red. "Yeah, I'm happy that I'm with you here too. I couldn't think of anyone else to spend this night with."

"Same here."

The two returned their gaze back to the horizon. It was silent between them for a minute. Serena then looked back at Ash. A thought came into her mind. But was it too soon? She wanted to know.

"Hey Ash?"

"Yeah?"

Serena then took her hands off the railing and took a couple steps toward Ash. She looked down before making her decision. She took a deep breath and looked back towards him. His amber orbs were hypnotizing, which made this more difficult. But now was as good as time as any, and she didn't want to waste it. She took another deep breath and inched closer to him.

 **Author's note:** Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey, hey, hey? What the heck is going to happen? What is Serena thinking? What is everyone thinking? What am I thinking? Frankly, I'm thinking about knocking someone out by roundhouse kicking a door. Yeah, I know, my minds messed up. So sit tight right where you are for the next chapter while I go find Chuck Norris. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **"** **Well, to be fair, there hasn't been much putting lately."**

 **-Herb, Two and a Half Men**


	7. Shake Your Foundations

**TDBigJ's message:** *Fingers typing at a thousand miles per hour* Come on, come on, got to get that… one… last… word… in… there! Got it! Little exhausting but I got it in there. Okay, how can typing be exhausting? Is it just me, or am I the only one that it actually happens to? Beats the hell out of me. Okay, let's get to important matters… Now that I think of it, I don't really have anything newsworthy to point out. In a way, I've kind of lost my muster to write. I don't know what it is, but some of my motivation has gone away. I know this is not something I should be pointing out, especially here on Fanfiction, but don't worry, I will keep writing this story until it's over, I will find some way to motivate myself. I want this story to go on until chapter fifteen is posted. I'll do it. Stay with me. Now let's get to the responding of the reviews.

 **Wolves22 (Guest #1):** Good. I'm glad. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** I'm not quite sure yet. We'll see. Thanks for the review!

 **Oliverqueen01:** Daniel Bryan's theme for Amourshipping becoming canon is perfect. I agree, nothing with the other girls can top it. Wow, that many times? I don't blame you. I would do the same thing (I said that before did I?). Yeah, I had a feeling someone was going to like Serena's reaction to Ash's build. This chapter, well, you'll like it. Thanks for the review!

 **Pinkrangerfan:** I hope so too. Thanks for the review!

 **ManleyTogekiss:** Oops! Should've known that one. Thanks for reminding me and the review!

 **Roger1119:** Well, we'll see if your prediction is true. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566 (both reviews):** Oh, okay. I almost got scared there. I thought I did forget. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** I like how they're getting closer. It shows that them getting together is improving. It's good that we got some closure for the two of them but like I said before I don't think this will be the last we'll see of Serena in the anime, but I can't be too sure. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #2:** I will keep it up. Thanks for the review!

 **TheAztecKing:** That makes my day. Someone telling me this is one of their favorite Amourshipping fanfics is music to my ears. Thanks for the review!

 **Jpr123:** Ooh, sorry you didn't like the chapter. If it seemed cringe worthy to you I apologize if it made you feel that way. Thanks for the review!

 **DarkAura808:** No man, don't need to apologize. If your review comes before the release of the next chapter it isn't late, even though I don't care if it's late. I wanted to make Ash grow up and mature and not be dense anymore in this story. I mean, he's twenty six, I doubt his density would still be pretty extreme at that age. Write about Grace moving back to Kanto? I don't know, I'll think about it. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and… whoever else.**

It was time for the big night. The people who were going were getting dressed in their sharp tuxes or appealing gowns. It was going to be a great night for most, but for some, it would be magical. Only time would tell for our potential couple which it would be for them.

Ash had looked in the mirror in his bathroom to see if anything was off. Since he had grown up he took more pride in his looks than he did when he was young. He didn't take it to the point where he would be vain, but at least to make it look like he had some respect for his appearance. Even though Ash knew that inner beauty was more important than outer beauty, it didn't hurt to look good once in a while. He just wondered what Serena would think of him in a tux. She hadn't seen him in one since that dance party when they journeyed together. Of course, he was a kid then, but now that he was an adult, she might have a whole new opinion of him in one. If she ogled at him when he was just wearing swimming trunks, he just thought would what she would think of him in this.

He made sure the tux fit properly. Since he now had muscles some articles of clothing were tighter on him now. It wasn't uncomfortable, but there was some restriction that he didn't care for. Pikachu was on the counter next to him, wearing a bow tie. Pikachu wasn't one that wanted to look good on most occasions, but he did when the opportunity arose. Ash took some cologne that was next to the sink and sprayed some on his neck. Ash had started spraying cologne on himself in his teenage years. It was one of the few things about him that caught on as he aged. He felt that if he didn't want to smell worse than a Trubbish, he had to do something about it. You know boys these days, they could smell bad and not give a damn. Girls on the other hand always smelt nice. They were better at that. Don't get me wrong, some guys took initiative and tried to improve themselves in any way they could, but the others, did it really need to be said?

He thought about tonight. When he asked Serena to come with him to this ball, he had to admit, he was pretty nervous. He didn't feel attracted to Serena, even though he did think she was pretty. But something caused Butterfrees to float in his stomach. He wasn't sure what they were, but he thought he would find out at one point.

He asked her to come with him because he wanted to give her the one dance they couldn't have when they were younger. He knew that he would have never have caught it when he was a kid because he admitted he was a bit dense when it came to the subject of romance when he was young, but he knew a lot more about it now and he remembered when she seemed upset when they didn't dance together at the dance party when they travelled Kalos. Right when they were about to dance together, the music stopped and he remembered Serena's reaction afterwards…

 _"_ _That's it. So did you have a good time, Serena?"_

 _"_ _I guess I did. I wish I could've danced more."_

At that time, he didn't know what it meant. Believe him, he was looking forward to that dance too, but it was halted due to bad timing. He felt bad for her, she was his childhood friend and he would do anything to make her happy, no matter the circumstances, so that was why he gave her a second chance to have that one dance with him. He felt like he owed it to her.

Pikachu looked up at his partner. He knew he was reflecting on that one day many years ago. Even he remembered that day. But there was one part of that day he didn't care for at all. It was when he danced with Miette's Slurpuff. She had been swinging him around too much and Pikachu literally felt like he was going to vomit after that. That was something he thought he was better off forgetting.

Ash sighed. "Well, I have to make this night memorable for her, right Pikachu?" Pikachu nodded his head. He had a feeling that his best friend wanted to make a special night for his longtime friend. Pikachu thought it was well overdue, since he himself knew that Serena harbored feelings towards his trainer. For crying out loud, he wouldn't be surprised if the whole world knew before Ash did, or should he. Ash was the only one out of everybody that didn't know that his childhood friend still had a crush on him. Everyone else figured it out over the years but Ash still didn't know. I guess that's one thing he was still dense about.

Ash looked at the clock. The ball didn't start for another hour so he had plenty of time. He looked at himself in the mirror one more time to see if anything was out of disarray. Nothing appeared out of place so he was ready for the night. He walked down the stairs and went towards the front door. The sun was setting so a dark night was on the horizon which was perfect for the night to come. Ash put his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath.

"Can't screw this up." He said to himself. He had a feeling inside him that he rarely ever felt: self-doubt. He felt as if he was going to mess up at some point in the night tonight. Why was he feeling this way? Ash was not one to think he was going to screw up at any point during his day. The last time he ever felt this way was when he lost that six on six battle against Paul at Lake Acuity a long time ago. He got his butt whooped that day six to two and doubted himself as a trainer afterwards. Ash had never lost a battle that bad before and he felt as if he let his Pokemon down that day. Sure, Chimchar evolved into Monferno during that day but that was the only plus that came out of it. Defeating two of Paul's Pokemon that day felt like nothing compared to that. But he was glad that Dawn did something to cheer him up that day. She was that one friend (Other than Serena) that had been there for him through the thick and thin. Yeah they got in their squabbles when they were young but they always had each other's backs. Dawn had always considered Ash a brother but out of all of Ash's friends, which one didn't consider him a brother?

A lot of his friends now thought of him as a role model since he became World Champion, especially Max and Bonnie. Ash was Max's top inspiration (Besides May and his father Norman of course). The two had their battle that Ash promised him once Max became a trainer when he was ten. Ash won that battle but had to admit that Max had become a great trainer in such a short amount of time. Ash fulfilled his promises that he made to his friends once he got the chance to. Max learned a lot from that battle with Ash and was one of the reasons why Max looked up to Ash a lot. Even when he travelled with Ash, he did learn a lot but that battle only got him more experience than he had before.

Bonnie on the other hand had been a fairly decent trainer when she started. She learned most of her stuff from Clemont due to the fact that he was a gym leader (And still is) but what she saw from travelling with Ash was more than enough. She saw Ash as a second brother and had watched almost all of his battles in recent years.

Ash often credited his past companions after some of the battles he had. He didn't want to think that he got all of his success on his own, no, he wasn't like that. Everyone that he travelled with had a major influence on him as he grew as a trainer. A few of the ones he learned the most from were the gym leaders. Brock, Misty, Cilan, Iris, and Clemont. When it came to Brock, since he travelled with Ash more than anybody, Ash considered him one of the biggest helps of his life. Cilan in his food talk during Ash's battles were a bit unorthodox but Ash in a way knew what he was talking about (Sort of). Clemont was a young gym leader at the time but Ash saw him grow as one as he travelled with him but Ash learned a lot from Clemont as well seeing his talent grow. Misty was a little overbearing but gave Ash some pointers here and there to help him out, and Iris, despite her always calling him a kid (Which Ash thought wasn't that clever of an insult), had given him some good tips and advice. It was fascinating travelling with those guys.

Ash looked at his watch. It was only forty minutes until the ball so Ash thought he better get a move on. He grabbed a jacket, his house keys, and went out. He locked the door behind him and started making his way over.

The sun had set a little more since Ash last saw it. The sun was barely visible and only a small orange aura could be seen in the distance. The sky was now merely dark blue just like the ocean. Ash looked down at the ground and put his hands in his pockets. This was going to be one nerve wracking night. It had been a while since Ash danced, at least in the form he was going to tonight. He wasn't sure if he was going to remember how to dance in the graceful way he did with Denise back almost six years ago. Believe it or not, that was the last time he danced, and that's what stressed him out. He didn't quite remember exactly, so that made him panic a bit. He didn't want to mess this up, especially in front of Serena. He knew she wouldn't make fun of him if he did, she wasn't that kind of person in any way, that kind of relieved him in a way. He then thought that he didn't really have anything to worry about if he was with him. Maybe throughout the night, she would help him move his feet the right way if he ever felt like he screwed up, she was helpful in that sort of way. She did help Clemont when they were younger from what he remembered. She probably knew more about dancing than he did, so she might be a big help.

Ash blinked a couple of times to snap back into reality. He shouldn't have felt so nervous for this. He realized who he was going to this ball with. It was one of the few times he shouldn't feel it.

Ten minutes later, he arrived at the ballroom. Serena wasn't there yet, so he waited patiently. He walked around. There were already so many people there. It was kind of like the dance party when he was young.

"Man, Pikachu would've liked this. But I doubt dancing is really his thing." He said to himself.

"Hey I'm here. Sorry I took so long."

Ash knew who that voice belonged to. He turned around to see Serena there. But when he saw her, he was awed by her appearance. She was wearing a white long sleeve dress with a red sash around the waist, and she was wearing her hair down longer than usual. Ash admitted she looked incredible.

"Hey. You look really beautiful."

"Thank you. You look very handsome."

The two of them then stood in silence for a minute. Ash was finally the one to speak.

Ash held out his hand. "Would you like to dance?"

Serena grabbed his hand. "I'd love to."

Ash then led her to the dance floor. He then thought to himself. "No screwing this up Ash. You wanted to do this for her so be calm and don't mess up."

The two got to a suitable place on the dance floor. Ash took a deep breath and put his left arm around Serena's back and his right hand in her left. He looked into her eyes. He felt a little unsteady.

"You okay, Ash." She asked.

"Yeah. It's just been a while."

"Ash, don't be nervous. Just remember the last time you danced with someone and do it to the best of your ability. Don't worry, I'm not going to judge you." She explained. Ash knew she was right. When he was around her, he felt a little more calm, still nervous but a little more calmer. Once he regained his cool, he started moving at a steady pace. Now that he was more relaxed, he realized that he wasn't making any mistakes, which eased his nerves a bit.

As the two of them danced, Serena realized that Ash wasn't really making a mistake. That was odd. When they were young, Ash had always been an unbalanced dancer. The guy had cinderblocks for feet it seemed like, but tonight, Ash had been flawless in his dancing. He must have improved over the years.

"Wow Ash, I've never seen you seen you dance this well. What changed?"

"Before Denise and I got married, I told her that I was a sloppy dancer, couldn't carry a move, so we took lessons every so often so I could better myself. When our wedding came around, I never once stumbled. I felt pretty good about myself for improving." Ash explained.

"Well, I'm proud of you Ash. You don't have a pair of left feet anymore." The two of them shared a laugh.

"Believe me, I even surprised myself."

Ash probably surprised everybody when they found out he could dance well. Although only her, Bonnie, and Clemont knew he couldn't dance well. But he did now and that's all that mattered.

After the current song was over, the two of them thought they would take a break for now. Ash went to the men's room while Serena went upstairs and went out on the balcony outside. She was on the second level so she had a nice view from where she was standing. The night sky was painted blue with little white crystals embezzling it, and there was a nice simple breeze that lightly blew Serena's hair. Serena had wished that she had brought her Pokemon along for this, they would enjoy this, but bringing Pokemon to the ball was forbidden so there wasn't a way she could do that.

She had been out there for five minutes and she was pretty sure that Ash was done using the men's room. Maybe he was looking for her. She didn't tell him where she was going but maybe she should have. But Ash was smart, he would look all over the place for her until he found her.

"Maybe I should go look for him and bring him back up here. Probably would be a good idea." She turned around but as soon as she did Ash had just appeared in the doorway.

"Hey, I was wondering where you went." Ash said.

"Sorry, I should have told you where I was going." She replied. He walked up to her at the railing of the balcony, looking out at the horizon. It was a nice view since there were no buildings they could see from where they were standing.

"Beautiful night out, isn't it?" Serena asked.

"Definitely." Ash responded.

"Thanks for bringing me here tonight. I'm having a great time." Serena stated.

Ash grabbed her left with his right and looked at her. "You're welcome. I'm having a great time too, especially since it's with you."

Serena faintly blushed a little red. "Yeah, I'm happy that I'm with you here too. I couldn't think of anyone else to spend this night with."

"Same here."

The two returned their gaze back to the horizon. It was silent between them for a minute. Serena then looked back at Ash. A thought came into her mind. But was it too soon? She wanted to know.

"Hey Ash?"

"Yeah?"

Serena then took her hands off the railing and took a couple steps toward Ash. She looked down before making her decision. She took a deep breath and looked back towards him. His amber orbs were hypnotizing, which made this more difficult. But now was as good as time as any, and she didn't want to waste it. She took another deep breath and inched closer to him.

But she then halted herself. Was this action too soon? Maybe it was. She thought it over once more. She then pulled Ash into a tight embrace, nearly squeezing the life out of him, but not to the extent of him barely being able to breathe. She then pulled her head away from his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek and released from the hug. Ash was a little surprised at this, especially by the kiss on the cheek. Serena didn't notice, but Ash had a faint red blush on his cheeks.

"That's just my way of saying thanks."

Ash at first couldn't find the right words. "O… o… okay. You're welcome."

Serena checked her watch, which showed that it was midnight. "Well, it looks like I should be heading home. It's pretty late. I'll see you later."

"Hold on, I'll walk you home. It's pretty dark. I'm pretty sure you won't want to walk home by yourself in this."

Ash grabbed his jacket and the two left. When the two of them left, Ash realized that no one was around. But just to be safe, he wrapped his left arm around Serena and pulled her close, so she felt like she was safe. Serena looked at Ash. Now she was the one with a faint red blush, and Ash didn't notice. But some thoughts were running through her mind. But she was feeling pretty tired so those were thoughts better left for tomorrow. She laid her head on his shoulder and the two walked home in silence.

Not a bad night was it?

 **Author's note:** Aww, that was nice. They finally got their dance. I bet you all wish those last few moments turned out better, but I felt as if they did something bigger that it would have been too early, so that's why I went for the next best thing, but don't worry, bigger things could happen as the story progresses, because remember, I've got big plans for the rest of the story. This story is only just about half over so we've still got some time. What else could happen? If you want to know, read the preview.

"Okay you two. It's time for bed. Go get ready." Ash told his kids, pointing upstairs.

"Aw, daddy, do we have to?" Bellamy asked, whining a little bit.

"Yes, now please go. It's nine, I want you two to get some sleep before tomorrow."

Tristan and Bellamy sunk their heads and slowly walked up the stairs.

"I'll be up there in a few minutes to tuck you guys in, okay." He called out.

"Actually, how about I go do that?" Serena suggested.

"Oh no, you don't have to. You've done it the last six times."

"It's okay, Ash, I'm fine with it. Besides, it saves you the trouble."

Ash smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "All right. If you're fine with it."

A few minutes later, the kids had gotten in their pajamas and crawled under their sheets. They were still a little reluctant, but they didn't have the need to argue, not like they could anyway. Ash's word was final. Serena came up and properly adjusted the sheets so that they were completely covering the two of them up to their shoulders. Bellamy then yawned, which then convinced her and Tristan that they really were tired.

Serena giggled. "You two look like tired little cubs to me."

"Tired? I'm not tired." Tristan stated, who right after, yawned as well. Bellamy looked right at him. Seeing as he couldn't argue, he just laid his head back on the pillow.

"You two sleep well, and have good dreams too, okay?"

"Okay."

Serena smiled and leaned down and kissed Bellamy on the forehead. She walked over to Tristan, finished tucking him in, and kissed him on the forehead.

"Night Tristan."

But then the next thing that came out of his mouth was sure unexpected, and it wasn't something you would normally hear from a four year old.

 **Author's note:** Ooh, looks like a cliffhanger, doesn't it? Sometimes I don't like leaving one but I only do when it feels necessary. What do you think Tristan said? I bet you can't guess correctly. Well, he could've said anything, but I'm the only one who knows. Hehehe! If you want to find out, drop and give me fifty (No, not fifty dollars), and sit and wait until the next chapter. I'll be sitting here patiently until I see you guys in the next chapter. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **"** **The tape was supposed to break."**

 **-Doug, Wild Hogs**


	8. Live Wire

**TDBigJ's message:** Hey guys, who's up for another chapter? I know I am. Here's chapter eight, and we've officially reached the halfway point of this story. I've had a pretty uneventful week. The only thing that happened in the last week was that my guinea pig died a few days ago. I'm hurt but I'll be okay. One thing I am looking forward to this weekend is some football. My team the Eagles take on my home state team the Seahawks. Ooh, that'll be a game to watch. I'm happy that the Seahawks beat the Patriots this past weekend. That was enjoyable (Sorry for those of you who are Patriots fans). I am still trying to find some motivation to write as I stated last week I kind of lost some of it. Some came back but not all of it. Don't worry, I'll still release a chapter every week, that much I can do. I'll keep searching for something to boost it. Let's get the responding of reviews so you guys don't have to hear all my mumbo jumbo.

 **Wolves22 (Guest #1):** I will consider it. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** Thanks for the encouragement!

 **Oliverqueen01:** Did you watch the premiere of Sun and Moon? If you did, how was it? They deserved to have the dance. The XYZ writers screwed us over on that one. Yeah, it's nice that Ash thought of everybody and what he's been through with them, one of the reasons I will never write a betrayal fic. I just couldn't see any of his friends turning their back on him, especially a certain few. Thanks for encouraging me. I will try to find some motivation. Thanks for the review!

Oh by the way, what did you think of Edge being on Smackdown back on Tuesday? I remember you saying he's your all time favorite because he's from your hometown. Man, he really grew that beard out didn't he? How do you feel about Survivor Series this Sunday being in your hometown? Just thought I'd ask because they said it was in Toronto and I thought: "Hey, that's where oliverqueen01 is from. What do you think about that? And another thing, who are you rooting for at Survivor Series? Raw or Smackdown?

 **Shadic4566:** Oh don't worry about the misunderstanding. It's no big deal. Glad you like me responding to reviews. I do it because I like to let my readers know I'm listening to them and give my opinion on their thoughts. Yeah a few people thought her kissing him on the lips was too soon, I thought so too after a while. Yeah, I kind of wished I allowed Pokemon at the ball last chapter. Pikachu dancing with Sylveon would probably have been a good moment, since the yellow mouse needs a moment here and there. Sucks that Greninja left Ash, that was uncalled for. The new animation style doesn't really bother me, but I do hope they go back to the original in the next series (If there is one). Thanks for the review!

 **ManleyTogekiss:** We'll see if your prediction is true. Thanks for the review!

 **AgitatedDog9288:** You like them doing that? Some people did too. Thanks for the review!

 **Pinkrangerfan:** It's good they got the dance they deserved. A lot of people seemed to like it. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #2:** You did? Whoa. Thanks for the review!

 **Roger1119:** Your prediction is close. Make these chapters longer? Yeah, I can do that. I do realize the last chapter was pretty short and I'm trying to make these chapters as long as I possibly can. But I don't think I can update twice a week, it'd be too stressful for me, but I'm happy you love this fic. Thanks for the review!

 **TheAztecKing:** Oh sure dude, no problem! If you want some pointers, I'd be more than willing. You read my story all the time and review it, so I might as well return the favor. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** Yeah, I thought it was a little too early for a kiss on the lips. Man, your predictions are almost spot on every time. But are you right this time? We'll see. Yeah, that dance is what we all wanted to see. Like I said before, the XYZ writers screwed us over on that one. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #3:** Good to know you liked the chapter. The next chapter of the crossover will be out within 2-3 weeks. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** Man, it must be rough working nine hour shifts constantly. Heh, good to know you liked Serena ogling Ash. I didn't know if anyone was going to like that. Thanks for the review!

 **Darkaura808:** Thanks for encouraging me. I need those words to boost my spirits. Ash as an adult serving as a role model just fits to me. Recalling all his companions is something that I thought needed to be put in. Ash certainly has made an impact on all of them. Seems everybody thought the kiss on the cheek was the right thing to do, I'm glad I went that way. Liked that your last comment got you hungry, I chuckled a bit at that. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and… whoever else.**

Ash was on his laptop, finishing up an email to Dawn. Dawn had just asked him what he had done recently since coming back from his two month long work schedule. It had been a month and a half since he got back, but hardly any of his friends had asked him about what he had been up to since he got back. He told all of them that he was taking a one to two month break from travelling and accepting challenges. He told them he hadn't done much but did note that he met up back with Serena again. They were all surprised but happy that the two of them reunited. All of them had seen Serena in the past sixteen years, so her meeting up with Ash for the first time in that span was music to their ears.

The one that talked to him most was Brock, since he was one of Ash's best friends and the two of them talked almost every other day. Ash always went to Brock when it came to casual talk and more importantly, romance. Brock occasionally asked Ash if he ever considered dating again, which Ash just promptly answered that he needed more time, but thing is, Ash had some doubt in that response, it had been almost eight months since he and Denise divorced and he felt as if he was just about completely over her. Brock had a feeling that his buddy was over his ex-wife but since the two of them were still friends, there was some skepticism in there somewhere.

Brock had a better idea of romance nowadays now that he himself was married. He had married the Battle Pike frontier brain Lucy before Ash married Denise. Brock learned that Lucy liked him about a decade ago and the two went out for a couple of years until they tied the knot. Now that Brock was married, his view of romance took a turn. He no longer went up to every beautiful girl he saw and flirted with them (Obviously). Ash thought that when Brock got married to Lucy, something changed in the guy. Brock would always give out advice about romance a lot better since he now knew how to do it properly. Lucy must have done something to him that gave him more clarity about romance, and everyone, especially Brock himself, was grateful that this was different now.

Whenever Ash stated when he should ever be ready to date again to Brock, Brock just said that he should wait until he was one hundred percent sure he was over Denise. Ash had a feeling that he was just about there, but at the same time thought that it wasn't. Little did Ash know that all of his friends were conversing about Ash dating Serena. They all knew they would be a perfect couple and crossed their fingers that they would be a thing. Only Ash didn't know she had a crush on him when they were kids, and he still didn't today, even at the age of twenty six.

That was one thing that depressed Serena. Her childhood friend still didn't know she had deep feelings for him after nearly twenty years of them knowing each other. Twenty years. Are you kidding me? How could someone you've had a massive crush on for almost two decades still not know that you did? Everyone else around her knew, why was it the one person she wanted to know the only one who didn't? It was so frustrating. Of course, she didn't want to spill the beans too early to him. Even when they were young she knew she had to be cautious when she was around him and she was talking her affections towards him, being afraid he might overhear her say it. But being shy to tell the one you love so much was another part that was frustrating. She wanted to tell him at one point, but she wanted to do it right, not just randomly.

Back to Ash, he was thinking about soon dating again. He felt it was almost time. Besides, his kids were always pestering him about putting himself back out there again. They wanted a new mom to be around them and be a role model, but Ash didn't know when to do so. Raising two kids by yourself wasn't easy. The kids being happy was one thing but Ash himself wanted to be happy with someone else as well. Sure his kids meant well, but Ash needed to think for himself sometimes.

Of course, there were other people that Ash went to for advice in this sort of situation. Dawn was one of them, even though this email he was sending was not regarding the subject. Dawn occasionally lent Ash some well needed words about his love life. Dawn was one of the first of his friends to have gotten married but she got married after he did and she still was. Dawn was almost like a sister to Ash so he could go to her for some tips whenever he needed to.

Bonnie was one other person Ash got some words from. Bonnie was the second person to know that Serena liked Ash more than a friend. She always was there to lend a hand now that she was so much older and now dating Max, but whenever Ash asked her for advice, Clemont on the other side of the line had to refrain her from revealing Serena's secret, most of the time by nudging her in the arm. Bonnie at the same time knew that she had to keep it a secret, but she could hardly contain herself and almost came close to revealing it a few times, but Clemont was always there to save it.

Ash finished up the email and sent it. He closed his laptop and walked out back and sat down in a lawn chair, looking out into the distance. It was only noon so much of the day was left. Tristan and Bellamy had been upstairs the whole day and had only come down for breakfast earlier. Ash didn't care what they did during the day, as long as it wasn't reckless and that it wasn't disrupting other people. Ash had sent most of his Pokemon back to Oak's lab. Bayleef was the only one he had kept there.

Ash had been on his break for a little over a month now, and he was figuring that one more month would be good enough and then he would have to go back to accepting challenges and doing battles. Ash had done a little training here and there in the past month. His Pokemon had grown a little exhausted lately and that was why he had sent them back to the lab, just to give them a little rest. It was something Ash had to do as a trainer every so often. As a trainer, he had to fulfill every responsibility that came with it. It was something he never forgot in his sixteen years as a trainer. As he got older he got a WHOLE lot more serious about it. He remembered when he was young that he had kept a lot of the Pokemon he caught in each region with him on his journey. He made sure not to overtrain them to the point where he couldn't do a gym battle because they were all worn out from practicing too hard.

As he stared out into the bare blue sky, Ash reflected back on the first day of his journey when he saw Ho-oh and when Pikachu saved him from the flock of Spearow. That was one of the most recalled memories of Ash's tenure as a trainer… The first time one of his Pokemon ever protected him… Pikachu's first ever act of bravery. It was one of Ash's favorite memories of his best pal, the moment they started becoming best friends. Pikachu had his first moment of strength that day, and the future only got better for him. Pikachu learned new moves as their journey progressed and only proved to be Ash's strongest Pokemon, despite his size.

Ash recalled one of Pikachu's strongest moments. Back in Unova when they were trying to save Meloetta from Team Rocket and having them gain the power of the three legendaries: Thunderous, Landerous, and Tornadus. The breaking point of that battle was Pikachu unleashing the biggest ever electro ball to destroy the stature that was releasing the beam for the legendaries. Ash, Cilan, and Iris were beyond shocked when Pikachu's electro ball was twenty times bigger than usual. Ash never thought that Pikachu was going to unleash one that big but he also never doubted him either. That was one thing Ash never did, was doubt his best friend's true strength. Pikachu could defeat Pokemon at least fifty times bigger than him and sometimes without difficulty. The many moves Pikachu picked up a long time ago: iron tail, volt tackle, electro ball, etc. All of them were extremely powerful attacks, but not as powerful as his most used attack (And perhaps Ash's favorite) thunderbolt. That was Pikachu's most generic attack, but it turned out to be his best. Sometimes, the most regular attack could turn out to be the best.

Ash leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a few minutes. He needed to relax his mind a bit. He was all alone out here. Not even Pikachu was out here. He was probably playing with the kids upstairs or he was in Ash's room sleeping. If Pikachu wasn't next to him, that's where he would usually be. Pikachu was like a best friend to Tristan and Bellamy in a sort of way.

As his eyes were closed, he cleared his mind of everything. He wanted to just not think of anything right now, just relax. Ash hardly had any moments like this when he was in other regions battling challengers. Even during his visits when he was not battling it was hard to find the opportunity to chill out for even a few minutes. Ash wanted just one day, one day he could have the house to himself. All alone where he could do whatever he wanted, without interruption. Some days he wished he could just sleep in but that was a rarity for him nowadays. You could say it bothered him, but at the same time it didn't.

Pikachu came out, wiping his eyes with his left hand, apparently a little drowsy from what he had done previously before he came out here. Ash didn't take notice because his eyes were still closed, trying to let the soothing sounds of nature take him away. Pikachu looked at Ash and jumped up onto the lawn chair next to him. He got into a sleeping position and closed his eyes once again and drifted off to sleep, Ash unaware of his presence.

It was rather quiet. People who neighbored Ash weren't outside at this time, it was just him, so no wonder it was so quiet right now. It was partially cloudy with most of the sky illuminated by the sun. Pikachu opened one eye and thought that he would go lay on his trainer's lap, so he hopped down from the chair he was on and walked over to Ash just a few feet away and jumped up onto his lap. Ash wasn't jarred out of his focus though as he kept his eyes closed, but he did smile and rubbed the top of Pikachu's head, making Pikachu know that he knew he was there. When they weren't battling, the two of them would usually be doing this.

"Hey there buddy. You must be tired." He said as he continued rubbing the top of his friend's head. Pikachu cooed as Ash scratched every inch of his head. This was one thing Pikachu enjoyed since the younger days, and loved it whenever someone did it. He twitched his neck a bit as Ash rubbed the sweet spot. That was Pikachu's favorite. Once Ash rubbed that certain spot, it was heaven for the electric mouse. Nothing relaxed him more than this.

Ash moved on from the top of his head to Pikachu's ears, scratching the tips, where Pikachu was sensitive. Pikachu's left arm twitched as Ash gently scratched the black points of his ears and then moving on to the rest of his ears, which were not as sensitive but still felt good nonetheless. Ash then opened his eyes and started rubbing each of Pikachu's ears with each hand. The yellow mouse felt like he was going to melt off to sleep. Hey, a Pokemon needed relaxation too.

"You just sit there and sleep, Pikachu. Get some rest." Pikachu then stretched out his arms and yawned then returned to his previous position. Ash then looked back out into the horizon.

"Sooner or later we're going to have to get back to work and get some battles in. It's been more than a month since we've battled someone, and it kind of feels awkward in a sort of way. I never go that long without a battle. I never even did that when I was young."

It in fact had been a month since Ash had battled anyone, but for the time he was off he kind of needed the break from battling, even though going this long without one battle was not like Ash and he was kind of having a "withdrawal", if you think of it that way. It bothered him a little bit but not to the point where it would ruin his focus. Suddenly, he heard a knock from behind him. He looked and saw Serena standing at the back door.

"Hey, when did you get here?" He asked.

"Just now. Bellamy let me in." She replied.

Ash, now knowing he had company, realized that his time of relaxation was over. He got up from his chair and walked inside.

"I was just relaxing when you showed up."

"I saw that."

The two sat down on the couch. As soon as they did, Tristan and Bellamy came rushing down the stairs, hugging Serena when they approached her.

"Where have you been?" Tristan asked.

Serena giggled. "What do you mean? I was just here the other day."

"Yeah, but it was a long two days." Tristan stated playfully, tightening his grip o Serena's leg.

"Okay you two, go easy on her." Ash said, putting his hand out in front of them.

"I guess they miss me a lot around here every day, don't they?"

"You wouldn't know the half of it."

A few hours later, it had begun getting late. During that time, the kids had actually been down there with the two of them the whole time. For young kids they had good listening skills. When Ash looked at his watch, he realized it was time for the kids to hit the hay. It had been a long day for all of them.

"Okay you two. It's time for bed. Go get ready." Ash told his kids, pointing upstairs.

"Aw, daddy, do we have to?" Bellamy asked, whining a little bit.

"Yes, now please go. It's nine, I want you two to get some sleep before tomorrow."

Tristan and Bellamy sunk their heads and slowly walked up the stairs.

"I'll be up there in a few minutes to tuck you guys in, okay." He called out.

"Actually, how about I go do that?" Serena suggested.

"Oh no, you don't have to. You've done it the last six times."

"It's okay, Ash, I'm fine with it. Besides, it saves you the trouble."

Ash smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "All right. If you're fine with it."

A few minutes later, the kids had gotten in their pajamas and crawled under their sheets. They were still a little reluctant, but they didn't have the need to argue, not like they could anyway. Ash's word was final. Serena came up and properly adjusted the sheets so that they were completely covering the two of them up to their shoulders. Bellamy then yawned, which then convinced her and Tristan that they really were tired.

Serena giggled. "You two look like tired little cubs to me."

"Tired? I'm not tired." Tristan stated, who right after, yawned as well. Bellamy looked right at him. Seeing as he couldn't argue, he just laid his head back on the pillow.

"You two sleep well, and have good dreams too, okay?"

"Okay."

Serena smiled and leaned down and kissed Bellamy on the forehead. She walked over to Tristan, finished tucking him in, and kissed him on the forehead.

"Night Tristan."

But then the next thing that came out of his mouth was sure unexpected, and it wasn't something you would normally hear from a four year old.

"Night mommy."

That stopped Serena right in her tracks. She turned her head to look at Tristan, who was looking right back at her. Did he… did he just call her "mommy?" Serena could have swore she must have just misheard him and he actually said something else, but that was only what she wanted it to be, and it wasn't reality. She flicked the light switch off and closed the door behind her and walked downstairs into the kitchen where Ash was at. Ash turned around with two mugs of coffee in hand and handed one to her.

"Kids asleep?"

"Um… yeah. They're-They're asleep."

The look on Serena's face was a mix of confusion and shock. Ash looked at her and wondered why she looked like that, which concerned him.

"Serena, are you all right?"

Serena didn't answer right away. She was too puzzled as to why Tristan had called her what he just did. She didn't really know how to respond.

"Serena?" He asked once more, finally snapping Serena out of her trance.

"Oh… um… yeah. I'm fine." She replied as she took a sip. But Ash was much smarter when it came to this than when he was younger. He knew from the look on her face that she wasn't fine.

"Come on, Serena, something's up. What is it?"

Serena knew she couldn't shake away from answering, so she might as well tell him.

"It's just that… Tristan… just called me mommy."

Ash nearly spit out his coffee when he heard that. He swallowed but with some difficulty. "He actually said that?"

"Yeah, he did. It's just… I don't know what to say. It got me out of nowhere."

Ash took a deep breath. "I don't know what to say either." That was true. Ash couldn't think of anything to say regarding that. He knew that they were nowhere near that stage but he couldn't help but think that there was something he should do.

"Look, I'll have a little talk with him in the morning. Straighten it out." Ash stated.

"You're not mad at him are you."

"Oh, no, I'm not. But it isn't something he should be saying if there's nothing definite about that yet." He explained.

"I need to go sit down. Think over it for a moment." She said and went over to the couch.

Ash played that over in his head. His son just called his childhood friend "mommy". It didn't sound right to him. The two weren't even dating, so why would he say such a thing.

But thing was, Serena was around the kids more often than Denise was, so he could understand in a way why Tristan said what he did.

But then another thought came into Ash's mind. The kids were so close to Serena since they met her, and they loved being around her and vice versa. Ash liked seeing his kids enjoy being around someone he was close to, and it was only a matter of time that things might change.

If a major change was on the horizon, Ash had some serious thinking to do.

 **Author's note:** Well, looks like things are escalating. I'm even surprising myself right now, and that ain't easy. But is it ever? Sorry this chapter was so short. I will try to make most of the rest of the chapters longer than this. Where do you think things are going to go from here? Only I know. Hehehe! I'm sorry am I laughing to myself? Gee, that sounds like a jerk move. Sorry about that guys. Anyway, there is a big moment in the next chapter. Read the preview if you want to know what it is.

While she went to go do that, Ash went in the other room to think this over. He was unsure if he should ask her. Many things popped up in his head as in what to say. If he was going ask her, he was going to do it right. But what and how?

"I need to find the right words. What to say… what to say…" He thought to himself. "Just one wrong word and I'll screw this up. Don't want that do I?"

He then thought that he was thinking this over too much. This was Serena he was talking about. She wasn't judgmental, but he still needed to be careful with his word choice.

He stood by the back door, looking outside, wondering what he could say. This was a question he hasn't asked in a while, so the concept was a little blurry so to say.

Ash put his hands in his pockets. "What do I say buddy?"

Pikachu shrugged his shoulders. "Pika."

Ash had to think of this on his own. He didn't have the time or want to call Brock. This was something he had to do on his own. For crying out loud he was a grown man. He was almost twenty seven years old and he brushed up on this subject in the last decade, mostly with the help of his friends. His kids weren't around to interfere with this, so that much could be said.

He leaned his head down and closed his eyes, thinking through every possible example as if he was a quarterback studying a playbook. Ash was a smart man in most cases, but in the eight months since his divorce the subject of romance dried up a bit, but he still had a good understanding of it.

Once he thought through everything he could think of he took a deep breath and opened his eyes. He could hear footsteps in the other room, he assumed Serena was done with what she was doing. He turned around and took another deep breath and walked into the other room.

This was it. It was do or die time.

 **Author's note:** Ooh boy, what is the big question he's going to ask her? Again, only I know. Hehehe! Sorry, am I doing that again? *Slaps forehead* Remind me to do that every time I act like a moron. What do you think is the question? What do I think is the question? What is the meaning of life? Where do babies come from? I will answer at least one of those questions in the next chapter. I will see you in a week. Until then…

What do I think is the question? What is the meaning of life? Where do babies come from? I will answer at least one of those questions next chapter. I will see you in a week. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **"** **Man, this is my third oil change today. Something's wrong with me."**

 **-Crank, Robots**


	9. Flick of the Switch

**TDBigJ's message:** Hiya you guys. Well, it certainly flies by doesn't it? Ah, who the hell cares? For those of you who live outside the U.S., we just had Thanksgiving here yesterday. Ah yes, Thanksgiving. One of my top three favorite holidays. What I enjoy about Thanksgiving is the family getting together. I got to see my uncle and his dog and my grandma for the day yesterday. I hardly ever see my uncle. It was the first time in about two years that I've seen him, mainly because he lives about three to four hours north of me. He lives within fifty miles of Canada so yeah, it's a pretty long trip for him to get down here. Yeah, I watched the Eagles-Seahawks game this past Sunday (That I mentioned in the last chapter), my two favorite teams. The Seahawks won, which I saw coming, 26-15. Today was also the Apple Cup (Washington vs Washington State in college). I rooted for Washington because that is the team in my state that I root for, and they totally dominated Washington State 45-17. Great game! It was 28-3 after the first quarter (I know, crazy right?). Today was Black Friday here in America (Don't know if other countries have it). For those of you who live outside the U.S., look up what it is (If your country doesn't have it). Did a bit of shopping today. Got my dad done with, my middle brother done with, all I have to deal with is my mom and oldest brother. Luckily, Black Friday here wasn't too hectic. Yes there were a lot of people but not a huge overload. So, yeah. Let's get to the responding of reviews while I think about what to get others for Christmas.

 **Wolves22 (Guest #1):** I don't see how that can work, since the latter isn't even in this story. He was only going to be in my past two stories. The former might make an appearance later on though. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** That will most likely happen in this story. Thanks for the review!

 **Oliverqueen01:** So you did watch the first (and second) episode of Sun and Moon? Great! If it has potential (for now), that's good to know. I hope it does in the future. It's four episodes in already it seems. You did Edge's entrance as he did it? Yo man, I wouldn't be ashamed either, even though I've never done Cena's entrance as he did it, but I'm pretty sure some people might have. Yeah, I rooted for Team Smackdown as well. But it sucks that only their male superstar team ended up winning out of the three, and yes, Smackdown is the better show these days. Yep, it does indeed seem that Ash has to make a decision in this chapter. You'll find out what it is, even though you probably already know what that's going to be. Thanks for the review!

 **Pinkrangerfan:** It's good for him to keep in touch with everybody he's known since his trainer days. Maybe the moment for the two of them is coming up. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't get more people. Miette being in this story, I'm not sure on that. It would be too obvious if she came in just to ruin Serena's chances of being with Ash to get him herself. But of course, I don't have to put her in for that reason. Thanks for the review!

 **Roger0326:** Don't worry, it will happen. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** Yeah, I was going to try something different, but him saying that was kind of needed for the plot. He actually will talk to Tristan this chapter. Well, your question will be answered this chapter. I know that Ash really hasn't been showing much affection toward her in this story, but more will be explained this chapter. I haven't watched the first two (or four as of yesterday) episodes of Sun and Moon but I plan to. You find them original and good? That's what I like to hear. You find Ash more expressive and Pikachu a more important character than in X and Y in the new series. That's something interesting, that might pique my interest of Sun and Moon more. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #2:** Oh no, the crossover fic will be updated once every few weeks, I will have it out soon. Sorry if I'm making you wait again. I wouldn't update a story monthly, that isn't like me. Yeah I agree, Ash's old look is better than his new one. I hope in the next series (If there will be one) they will go back to the original animation style. Thanks for the review!

 **TheAztecKing:** Glad that you like that this is escalating and the story. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon (both reviews):** No, no. I'm trying to kill you again. I'm going to be a horrible man if I do. Now I'm panicking. The "mommy" moment is your favorite moment in this fic? Awesome! I don't know, something like that could happen. Thanks for the review!

 **Darkaura808:** I wish I could have added the moment where Serena kissed Ash at the end of XY, but this story was posted almost a month before that episode aired so I couldn't. It would seem weird that Ash would go to Bonnie for advice, but yeah she is more mature on the idea of romance (in the anime at least). Glad you liked that part, you aren't alone. Sheldon possibly proposing to Amy at the end of the season? If it does happen, I kind of had a feeling they would do it at the end of a season. It would just make more sense. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and… whoever else.**

It was 1:48 in the morning, and Ash was still awake. He had gone to bed about an hour ago but had been keeping himself awake due to the amount of thinking he had been doing. Pikachu had already fallen asleep but Ash's thoughts were preventing his eyelids from closing. What was he thinking about you ask? Simple, is was an event that occurred earlier in the night. When Tristan had called Serena "mommy".

Ash didn't know what made Tristan call her such a word. Of course she wasn't his real mother, so Tristan calling her that confused and shocked Ash, as well as Serena. What was the reasoning behind it? Ash thought it through. He reflected on the conversation he had with Tristan a few short hours ago.

 **Five hours earlier**

 _"_ _Tristan, what was the reason for calling Serena "mommy"? Explain that to me." Ash asked his son._

 _"_ _She just seems like a mother to me." Tristan replied, but Ash wanted more of an answer._

 _"_ _I'm going to need more Tristan."_

 _Tristan took a deep breath. "It's just that she is always visiting us, wanting to see us and you, and she is really kind. It looks like she cares for us… and you as well daddy."_

 _Ash took in all the information Tristan had told him. "That is true, buddy. But you can't just call any woman I know "mommy" just because she cares about all of us."_

 _"_ _But she is the only female friend of yours that visits. Plus, mom is never around to be with us, so it's kind of sad that we never see her that much."_

 _Ash had to admit, Tristan was right. Serena really was the only female friend of his he saw on a constant basis. She would come over and visit at least four or five times a week, and she would divide her time between the kids and him when she was here. And Denise was only around the kids once a month at the most, so it was probably hard for them to live in this house without a mother figure._

 _"_ _I have to admit Tristan, you have a point there." Ash responded._

 _"_ _It's just that… Serena seems like a mother to me. Her seeing us all the time, it feels that is what a mother should do." Tristan explained._

 _"_ _That's true. But it seems you should get some sleep kiddo, it's almost nine."_

 _Tristan shuffled under the sheets. "Okay daddy." And he then closed his eyes._

 _"_ _All right. Sleep tight, buddy." Ash said and leaned down and pecked Tristan on the forehead and turned off the light and closed the door behind him._

 **Current time**

For a four year old, Tristan gave some good points as to why he had called Ash's childhood friend "mommy". He was the only one around to take care of them so a father figure was all they had.

But there was one thing rattling in Ash's mind…

This whole thing brought up a decision for Ash to make, a whole decision for him to take some time to think. Oh boy, he hoped he would make the right one.

 **Serena**

Serena was doing the exact same thing that Ash had been doing. She was in bed late at night thinking over what had occurred earlier that night. It was a little hard to know that her crush's son had just called her the one word she wasn't. The moment played through her head constantly.

 _"_ _Night Tristan."_

 _"_ _Night mommy."_

"Mommy". That one word. It wasn't just the scene that played over in her head, it was that word that did it more so. She just couldn't believe it. Why would he call her that? Was it because she saw him more than his birth mother, Denise? Even so, is that any reason to call her that?

Thing is, Serena did in fact want to be like a mom to them, maybe even their mother in general, even if it was just a stepmother. She loved those kids, especially their father. But was time ready for that yet. She didn't think so, but she only thought that, she wanted time to be ready.

She had wanted to ask Ash out for a while now, but still didn't have the courage. Plus, she didn't think it was time just yet. Sure, Ash had been divorced for over eight months and thought that it was time for him to get out there again, but that was entirely up to Ash. It was his dating life after all.

If she and Ash ever got married, she wanted to have at least a few kids. But since Ash already had two, she thought just one would be good enough. She didn't want to give her and Ash that burden if they ever did get together and got married. Five kids would be too much.

But she didn't want to think too far ahead. The two of them weren't even together yet. But she felt as though soon she would ask him out on a date.

She just had to figure out how to do it… and fast, before any other girl got the chance.

 **Ash, the following day**

It was about noon, and Ash was talking to Dawn on his laptop via webcam. He had been going over what had just happened and what else had been going on recently.

"So Tristan called Serena "mommy"? That's interesting." Dawn commented.

"Yeah. Serena was just tucking them into bed, and he said "Night mommy" before she turned off the light." Ash stated.

"Man, talk about awkward moment."

"Tell me about it."

"Did you talk to Tristan about it?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah. He told me he called her that because she seems like a mother to him because she comes and visits us all the time, claiming that's what a mother does." Ash explained.

"I would agree. That is what a mother does. But I'm not sure if I would be comfortable being called that." Dawn responded.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean, if it were me that your son called "mommy" when I'm not really his mother, I would be pretty uncomfortable." Dawn stated. "And confused as well."

"Yeah. I completely understand that." Ash replied.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Serena feels uncomfortable right at this moment. Boy, I wouldn't want to be in her spot right now."

"Yeah, I know. Is there anything else I should do?" Ash asked.

"For now, I would just think over what to say to Serena. Give it some thought. Think about it. If you don't want something like this happening again, you're going to have to come up with something that would make this situation comfortable in the future." Dawn explained.

"All right. I'll put some thought into it, Dawn. Thanks for the advice!"

"No problem, Ash. If you need anything else on something like this, just give me a buzz. I'm always available to lend a hand to you if you need it." Dawn mentioned.

"Okay, see you later."

"See you."

And with that, Ash closed the window and shut his laptop and leaned back in his seat. Once the call ended, Dawn did the same. But after she shut her laptop, she had something to say.

"You're going to have to ask her out Ash."

Ash went over what Dawn had just told him in his head. She was right. He had to do something that would prevent uneasiness in his family and friends in the future. But thing is, what could he do?

He spent the next ten minutes, sitting there at the counter, thinking of possibilities of what he could do.

But then, one thing came to mind. And it was something that Ash hadn't done in years. But it was the best choice, and it was about time he got back to it. It had been a while, so he felt as if he was ready now.

He just hoped that it would go well.

A little later, Serena had shown up and Ash let her in.

"Hey Ash, good to be back here."

"It's good to have you here."

"Where are the kids at?"

"They're upstairs taking a nap. I kind of told them to take one." He stated.

"Oh, okay. Why so?"

"I'll explain that in a minute. So, are you okay after last night? I'm just making sure. I want to know if you're better than you were." Ash asked.

"I'm fine Ash. Still a little bit confused but I'll be all right."

"Okay good. I just hope it wasn't too much."

"It's fine. I'm not mad at the kid in any way."

"Well, that's good to hear."

"Hey, I'll be right back. I need to go wash my hands for a sec."

"Okay, go do what you need to do."

While she went to go do that, Ash went in the other room to think this over. He was unsure if he should ask her. Many things popped up in his head as in what to say. If he was going ask her, he was going to do it right. But what and how?

"I need to find the right words. What to say… what to say…" He thought to himself. "Just one wrong word and I'll screw this up. Don't want that do I?"

He then thought that he was thinking this over too much. This was Serena he was talking about. She wasn't judgmental, but he still needed to be careful with his word choice.

He stood by the back door, looking outside, wondering what he could say. This was a question he hasn't asked in a while, so the concept was a little blurry so to say.

Ash put his hands in his pockets. "What do I say buddy?"

Pikachu shrugged his shoulders. "Pika."

Ash had to think of this on his own. He didn't have the time or want to call Brock. This was something he had to do on his own. For crying out loud he was a grown man. He was almost twenty seven years old and he brushed up on this subject in the last decade, mostly with the help of his friends. His kids weren't around to interfere with this, so that much could be said.

He leaned his head down and closed his eyes, thinking through every possible example as if he was a quarterback studying a playbook. Ash was a smart man in most cases, but in the eight months since his divorce the subject of romance dried up a bit, but he still had a good understanding of it.

Once he thought through everything he could think of he took a deep breath and opened his eyes. He could hear footsteps in the other room, he assumed Serena was done with what she was doing. He turned around and took another deep breath and walked into the other room.

This was it. It was do or die time.

"Hey Serena, can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Oh, sure Ash."

The two of them went over and sat down on the couch.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" She asked him.

"I just wanted to ask you something, and it's really important. Just promise to hear me out, okay?"

"Okay, I'm listening."

"It's been a little over two months since I met up with you again, and it means a lot to me that you come over often and see me and my kids." Serena was wondering where Ash was going with this.

"And… I was happy to see my childhood friend once again, but as of late, I've just been feeling… different. My mind had been going through something that I haven't felt in a while. And there was something that I feel like I'm ready to ask again, but I'm not sure how you would feel about it." He continued.

Serena was beginning to get hints of where Ash was heading towards. She was hoping that it really was it, but she didn't want to get too confident that it was it, so she let him continue.

"Go on."

"The one thing I'm feeling different towards… is you. When I first met you again, I didn't feel it, but within the last few weeks, something's changed, but I feel like now is a good time to ask. You can say no if you want, I'll understand."

"What is it, Ash?"

Ash took a deep breath. "Would you like… to go out sometime?" And now Ash was feeling nervous. It wasn't like him on most occasions, but this was a rare instance.

Serena couldn't speak. Did she really hear what she just heard? Her crush had just asked her out… on a date. She had to blink a few times to confirm that it wasn't a dream. Nope, it wasn't, it was reality.

"Are… you asking me out… on a date?" She asked.

"Well… yeah. So… do you want to?"

Serena had been waiting for this moment to happen for nearly two decades. Her crush, her CRUSH just asked her out. She always thought it would be the other way around, but this way, it felt better somehow. She just couldn't believe it. She now felt like pinching herself. But if she blinked a few times and he was still in front of her, it was no dream, no matter how hard she tried.

"Ash… by all means yes." She replied.

Now Ash was the one to be surprised. She said yes. He was still oblivious that she has had feelings for him for a long time, so one would say he shouldn't be surprised.

"Um… well… uh… okay then. I guess… it's official then. How about… Saturday night?" He asked.

"Of course Ash. I would like nothing more. But could you excuse me for a sec?"

She got up and left the room to the entry way. Ash thought it over. In just a few days, he would be going out with Serena, the one girl he had known for most of his life, had been friends with for almost two decades. It seemed hard to believe, but it was true all right, mainly because he didn't know that Serena was doing a mini celebration in the other room.

Now there was another thing he didn't want to screw up, so he had some planning to do for a few days.

 **Three days later**

Ash had gotten dressed for the date. He had put on a dark blue dress shirt and some black pants and some slip on shoes. This was a big night, so he had to do his best to be perfect for this.

As for the kids, Ash had his mom come over to watch them while he was out on his date. He didn't tell his mom who he was going on a date with. He didn't want her to know just yet. Pikachu would stay back as well, as Ash and Serena wanted the date to be just the two of them. Their Pokemon understood. Their trainers wanted to have a good first date, so they didn't want to interfere.

Ash checked over every last bit of his appearance. He didn't want to be the least bit out of order, he needed to be perfect. Well, not perfect but just right not to look scruffy.

After he went over his appearance a couple times, he decided it was time to go. He went downstairs and grabbed his car keys and went into the living room to tell his kids and mom that he was leaving.

"Okay, I'm leaving. Tristan, Bellamy, be good for my mom. Do what she says."

"Yes daddy."

"Okay, I'm going now. See you in a bit." He said and made his way out.

"Bye honey. You have a good date okay?" Delia called out.

"Will do, mom." He replied and left the house.

He got to his destination in ten minutes. He made plans a couple night ago with Serena to know what they were going to do tonight. He promised to meet her here. She just texted him and told him she was almost there. Ash looked at himself in the rearview mirror one more time to make sure he looked decent. After that, he closed his eyes and went through what he had to do tonight.

"Be cool, Ash. This is the first date. Don't do anything out of line. Yes, this is Serena, but still, make sure you do well tonight. Just remember how your first date with Denise went and you'll do all right."

After that, he got out of his car and waited outside. Just as he got out, Serena had shown up. He went over and opened her car door for her.

"Hey. You look… really great tonight." He commented.

"Thank you. So do you." She replied.

"So… shall we go in?"

"Sure."

They walked over to the entrance, all the while preparing themselves. They were thinking the exact same thing at that moment.

"Let's nail this, Ash."

"Let's nail this, Serena."

 **Author's note:** Well, they're going on their first date. How do you think it will turn out? I hate to say it but that is how it is going to end. The date won't be written out in the next chapter. This chapter was to basically have Ash work up the courage to ask her out and the plan taken into action and the result. I'm sorry to do that to you guys, but that was the plan. But seeing as there are six chapters left after this one, there is plenty more big moments to be had in this story. And by big, I mean BIG! Like I've said before, I got a lot more planned out for the rest of the story. Next chapter is the next step for the two of them. What will it be? Check out the preview if you're curious.

As they were walking up the steps to Ash's mom's house, Serena went through a few thoughts. It had been a while since she saw Ash's mom. Not since she was a kid had she seen her, so Delia might not recognize her. But at the same time, what would she say when she met up with her for the first time in almost twenty years? So many thoughts rang in her mind. Ash looked at her and saw the look on her face and seemed concerned.

"What's wrong Serena? Are you nervous or something?" Ash asked.

"Maybe a little. I haven't seen your mom in ages. What do you think she is going to say when we tell her we are dating?"

"Look, my mom is not the critical type. She's not going to judge you just because we are going out. She's not one of those mothers that's overprotective of her son due to the girl he is going out with. She wasn't even that way with Denise, so I don't think she will be that way with you." Ash explained.

"I hope you are right. But… what will she think that you are now dating again?"

"My mom is not worried about me dating again. She knows that I am a grown man and that I can make my own decisions. I know it's been almost ten months since my divorce but I do feel like I am ready again."

He knocked on the front door. Ash's mother still lived in the same house that she raised Ash in. Serena closed her eyes and mentally calmed herself down and straightened herself out. This was an important meeting, so she couldn't appear or act nervous in front of Delia. But Ash did say she wasn't the critical type, so that eased her nerves a bit. A few seconds later Delia opened the door.

"Oh hey honey. You're here." Delia said and hugged her son. "Ash, who is this with you?"

"Mom, do you remember Serena? My childhood friend that I travelled in Kalos with when I was young?"

Delia's face lightened up. "Oh yeah, I remember you. You went to Professor Oak's Summer Camp with Ash a long time ago." She went up and hugged Serena. "It's so good to see you after so long."

Serena returned the hug. "You too, Mrs. Ketchum."

"Why don't you two come in. It must have been a long walk. I have to go in the kitchen and do something first before I join you."

Ash and Serena came in. It also appeared that the inside of the house hadn't changed either. Even after sixteen years Delia (and Mr. Mime) had kept the house in top form. The two of them went over and sat down on the couch while Delia dealt with something in the kitchen. Serena looked over at Ash, who was looking at a picture on a nearby wall, and tapped his shoulder. Ash turned his head so that he was now facing her.

"So how do you think we are going to tell her?" Serena asked.

"Well, I thought that once she asked how I've been and why you came here with me, I figured that would be the best time." Ash answered. Delia came back into the room and sat down on the chair next to the couch. Delia looked very good into her age, she had hardly changed in so long.

"So, why did you want to come here today, honey?" Delia asked.

"I just wanted to tell you that I just recently got home from Johto after taking a few challengers on. I wanted to show you that I'm all right." He explained.

"I know you're always all right honey. I believe you take good care of yourself."

"Well, I just wanted to let you know anyway."

"So, how come Serena is with you?"

Ash and Serena looked at each other. Now was the time to tell her.

"Well, mom, there is another reason I came here. There was something I wanted to tell you." He started.

"Okay, I'm listening."

"I hope you don't think it's too early…"

"What do you mean?"

"Mom, about a month and a half ago… Serena and I started dating."

 **Author's note:** Whoa! They just dropped the news to Delia. What do you think her reaction will be? What is she going to say? Do you think she'll say it's too early for her son to start dating again? Do you think she'll say that it's good that he's putting himself out there again? Do you think the pumpkin pie has been in the oven too long? Oops, sorry. My mind is trying to get off Thanksgiving. But what do you guys think she will say. Leave your thoughts in your review and I'll see you next time when December comes around. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **"** **I look at you and I see two men: The man you are and the man you ought to be."**

 **-Jimmy McGinty, the Replacements**


	10. Love Bomb

**TDBigJ's message:** Well, here we are again. Another week, another update. Man what a hectic week it's been. Did a little more Christmas shopping plus decorated my house for the holidays. Let's just say my family and I did a little bit of an overload on the decorations, but who cares? It's holiday season and there is no time of the year I feel more relaxed. Yeah, who in the hell is relaxed during Christmas time? Well, that's just who I am. It's just the time of the year that calms me down because I know what's around the corner. It's the time where not only Christmas but my birthday comes around (Don't say happy birthday to me, it's not here yet, But it's soon). This Monday, I'm going to be watching the new Pokemon movie (Well, at least new in English) Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel plus the two sneak peeks of the first two episodes of the Sun and Moon series on Disney XD. Yes you heard that right. Disney, not Cartoon Network, owns the broadcasting rights to the Pokemon series now. And not just the Sun and Moon series, all five previous series and nineteen seasons included. Oh boy, am I excited for that. I'm going to be watching a whole lot of Pokemon here in the coming months. But don't get confused. The remainder of the XY/Z series will air on Cartoon Network (I think. I will notify you if I'm wrong) here in America. Man, hard to believe we are already at chapter 10. It's been two months since this story came out. Only feels like I started it last week but nope, it's been way longer than that. At this point, this story has 50+ followers, 40+ favorites, 110+ reviews, and over 6,200 views! Are you frickin' kidding me? Thanks for the support guys! But you know me, I'm not going to gloat and gloat about how popular this story has become. That's not who I am. I write because it's my passion, that's the main reason. But anyway, let's get past that. Since it is chapter 10, that means there are only five chapters left after this one. I know, it's saddening, but you guys know me. Fifteen chapters is my limit (Except for the crossover fic I'm doing, which will be twenty). I didn't think ten weeks would fly by this quickly. Only a little more than a month left for this story, but like I said a couple of times before, there's still a few big moments to be had in this one, so find some adhesive and apply yourselves to your seats. I'm sorry, was that corny? I had planned that after this story, I will be taking an extended break, and by "extended" I mean more than my usual seven week break. I haven't really thought what my next story would be once this is all over. For the rest of this story and after it, I will be thinking over what my next project will be for some time. So you guys might not see me for a while after this story is done, but I promise you it won't be long. I don't plan on taking a whole year off. Nah. That would be too long. Maybe two to three months will be it. Maybe more, I don't know. I will let you guys know by the end of the story. That means I got a whole month to think about it. But I most likely will be posting a one-shot here and there and updating my crossover fic during that time, but no new multi-chapter fics for a while after this is done. I hate to break that to you guys, because I love the support you guys give me throughout each chapter, but even a writer has got to take a long break once in a while. I don't really have much else to say, so let's get to the responding of the reviews before I depress you guys any more if I haven't already.

 **Espeon44:** I do believe she will come back. In Sun and Moon, I'm unsure but it's a possibility. I mean like I said last chapter, we've seen most of Ash's former female companions meet up with him in the series after the one they travelled with him in. We saw Misty in the Advanced series, we saw May in the Diamond and Pearl series, and we saw Dawn in the Black and White series. They've got a trend going on, so I believe there's a chance we'll see Serena in the Sun and Moon series, even if it's for just a few episodes. Thanks for the review!

 **Wolves22 (Guest #1):** I'm not sure I can do that, but I appreciate the suggestion. Thanks for the review!

 **Pinkrangerfan:** I'm thinking everyone will be happy they're dating. Glad that you are. Thanks for the review!

 **ManleyTogekiss:** So you don't really care about long previews, huh? I'm sorry about that. The previews vary in length but I like to make them at least a two hundred fifty word minimum. Thanks for the review!

 **Roger0326:** Next chapter, well, here you go.

 **Oliverqueen01:** Yeah, only the men winning was bullcrap. I didn't see the spear from Roman to Shane, but I did see a picture of it. Goldberg beating Lesnar that quick? I bet no one saw that coming. So the next episode (Already aired) is Lana focused, huh? I'll give it a look. I think I had to add Ash having an inner struggle. Shows that even he has some nervousness when asking a close friend on a date. Dawn talking to him was needed, because as you said, he needed the kick in the butt to get up the courage to ask her. I thought Dawn was the best person to do so. Thanks for the review!

 **Fred the FHRITP Guy:** I know, a month and a half seems long, but I feel as if they needed time.

 **TheAztecKing:** You're happy? Well then, I'm happy. Yeah I know, only five chapters left after this one. But there's still a lot more to happen. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** Looks like someone else liked it. You'll see Delia's reaction this chapter, even though you already know. Tristan and Bellamy's reaction will be seen as well. You got Pokemon Sun? That's awesome! Glad you're enjoying it. I asked for Pokemon Moon for Christmas so fingers crossed in hoping I get it. I haven't played a Pokemon game in ages. It's been almost nine years since I played one, which was the original FireRed version, so I think it's about time I start playing them again. Thanks for the review!

 **Brignodrm2347:** Yes, this chapter will be a month and a half after the date from the last chapter. Yeah, I thought that Tristan calling Serena mom was a good starting point to where Ash would start considering asking Serena out. A glimpse of the date you will probably see in the next chapter because there isn't one in this chapter (Sorry if that disappoints you). They will have kissed within the last month and a half because you're right, it would be awkward if they had been dating that long and not do that once. Your first prediction with Delia's upcoming reaction is pretty close but I'm not going to spoil anything. So in your opinion, Sun and Moon is better than Black and White but worse than XY. I'm pretty sure a lot of people would agree with you. I know the XY/Z series was pretty darn awesome, but I just want to know what was wrong with Black and White. I watched it and it didn't bother me any, although I would agree with most people and say it's at the bottom of the five series. Yeah, I think they made Ash 11 in the new series. I remember reading that somewhere. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #2:** Yeah, don't worry. I promise you the updates for the crossover fic won't be monthly (Although it's been a month since I posted it). I'll update it soon, don't worry. I hope you had a good Thanksgiving as well. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** Whoa man, that's a lot of PMs. Oh well, it doesn't bother me. If the site wouldn't let you post your review, I understand. Yeah, you will see Delia's reaction this chapter as stated above. I didn't really want to be elaborate her reaction. I just wanted her to celebrate without Ash's knowledge as in this story, he still doesn't know she has a crush on him. Yeah, you're right, that really isn't something that I would write. Uh, are you okay man? You seem… crazy… or mad. Oh wait, you're a mad ass dragon for crying out loud. Now that makes sense. I need to think things over for once. Thanks for the reviews!

 **Darkaura808:** Glad that I'm keeping Serena in character and keeping her canon to the anime. Seems like everybody is responding positively to Ash asking Serena out. Glad to know I did a good job at it. I hope you'll find this chapter entertaining. I feel as if this is one of my best written chapters to date, and it's also the longest of this story as a matter of fact. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and… whoever else.**

A month and a half had passed, and a lot had transpired between our hero and heroine. They had told all their friends that they had started dating. They didn't make it official until after the third date. They needed to make sure it would work first before making any major decision that they were going out. Every one of their friends had applauded at the idea of them becoming a couple. But little did our couple know that after they hung up or turned off their side of the line, their friends were saying many things about what could be next for the both of them, such as: "Next step, marriage." Or "Just give them some time and they'll eventually be married and possibly having a kid together."

But they had told Tristan and Bellamy the big news just yesterday, and let's just say, they were beyond ecstatic. What they said without the couple's knowledge was basically the same as their friends. Even for kids their age, they were hoping that their father and new girlfriend would end up being married in the future. Everyone but our couple knew that it was only a matter of time.

The kids went up to their room that day after being told what the news was and closed the door and silently celebrated, grabbing each other's arms and spinning around the room. Their goal was one step closer to becoming official. Just going back to that moment was a thing to behold.

 **Yesterday**

 _"_ _Tristan, Bellamy, could you two come down here for a minute?" Ash called from the bottom of the stairs. He went over to the couch where Serena was sitting and sat down himself. He put his hand in his pockets and looked down at the floor. Serena knew this was going to be a little difficult to tell his kids, and put a comforting hand on his shoulder._

 _"_ _Are you sure you want to go through with this? Are you one hundred percent comfortable with it?"_

 _Ash slowly nodded his head to let her know he heard her. "I think now is the perfect time. They're bound to know at some time anyway so I feel as if they should be the first ones we tell."_

 _"_ _You're probably right. They've probably wanted us to date for a while now, so I feel as though they'll take it better than anybody, despite their age." Serena stated._

 _They heard the footsteps of the two younglings coming down the granite staircase. Serena looked at Ash one more time before the kids were within earshot._

 _"_ _Are you absolutely, completely sure about this?"_

 _"_ _I'm sure."_

 _The kids then appeared in front of the couple. "What did you want to tell us, daddy?" Bellamy asked._

 _"_ _Kids, you might want to sit down for this. It's pretty big news." Ash stated._

 _Tristan and Bellamy, seeing as their father had been going out with Serena for a few weeks now, were silently expecting and hoping that what their dad was going to say. They put their attention back on their dad to let him continue what he was saying._

 _"_ _To your knowledge, Serena and I have gone on a few dates in the last couple of weeks, and I think we are ready to say…" Ash cleared his throat before continuing. His kids were very eager to hear the big news, but were annoyed that he had to do what he just did to pause. Was he nervous to say it? "Oh please, not now. Don't chicken out." They both thought._

 _"_ _We wanted to tell you that we officially started dating. So… Serena and I are a couple now. We just wanted to run that by you." Ash finished._

 _Tristan and Bellamy's eyes widened. On the outside, they were surprised, but on the inside, they were ecstatic, screaming for joy. It had finally happened. Their dad had started putting himself out there again, and it was with the one person they had hoped he would hook up with. It's like everything they have been wanting for the past few months had finally come true. Now, her becoming their stepmother was their next hope, and those were pretty high._

 _"_ _YAY!" They both cheered and went up to Ash and hugged his legs. Ash was a little stunned when they did so, but it was no big deal. It was nice to see them taking this so well._

 _"_ _Heh, looks like they are happy with it." Ash stated._

 _Serena giggled. "I honestly wouldn't expect anything less."_

 **End of Flashback**

Ash liked the fact that he had started dating again. Ash himself thought that it was the best time to do so. If you thought that the moment of Tristan calling Serena "mommy" was a big factor, you could be right or wrong. Yes, he knew the kids in fact wanted a new mom but at the same time, it had been almost ten months since his divorce and he was starting to think that he had waited long enough. Plus at the same time, he was starting to feel lonely.

Yes, Ash in fact was feeling lonely. If you thought him having such a feeling was not possible, you'd be dead wrong. Besides his kids, Pikachu, and a few of his Pokemon, he had no one else to be there for him. He didn't have a woman in his life anymore and ten months was plenty of time to say "the wait is over". Ash needed to think of himself once in a while, and now was the time to do it.

Besides the kids and his friends, Pikachu and his other Pokemon were beyond happy that he had started dating someone again. Just like their trainer, they thought it had been long enough as well. If you thought Pokemon never felt that either, you'd again be dead wrong.

Bayleef was probably the one that was the happiest for him. You could easily tell Bayleef was the most emotional of Ash's Pokemon. Like for instance, when Ash was young, Bayleef would always panic when Ash traded her for another Pokemon, and was overjoyed when he got her back. Heh, you could say Bayleef hated being alone as well.

Once Ash told everyone that he was dating again, they all felt happy for him. They had a feeling that sooner or later he was going to date again, but with Serena? Many of them questioned "What are the odds"? Clemont and Bonnie were the ones mostly surprised, considering the fact that they used to travel with the two of them.

Ash then thought about everything. This was the first time he had felt sure about something in a while. After being divorced for nearly a whole year, don't you think it would be time to put yourself out there again? Ash had a feeling that Denise had started dating again as well, but sooner than he did. But he wasn't completely sure about that. He hadn't seen Denise more than six times since their divorce and didn't even bother to ask her if she was seeing anyone else. The question popped up as a possibility the next time he saw her, but at the same time, it wasn't really a question that was his business. Sure, Denise probably didn't care if he DID ask that question, but Ash wanted to be smart and considerate and not even bother bringing that up the next time the two of them met up.

Ash looked at his watch. It was 2:12 in the afternoon. He thought that now would be a good time to take a nap, as he had been thinking about this whole thing all day up to this point, and he needed a break from it. So he started making his way upstairs, but not before petting the top of his best pal's head. He rubbed the front of his face with his left hand as he trekked up the stairs. He did in fact feel a little tired. Who knew that thinking so much about one thing would make you drowsy? He got in his room and slammed down on the bed and was out as soon as his head, or in this case, face, hit the pillow.

Meanwhile, a certain honey blonde had been thinking about the same thing for the past few hours, although she was going about it differently than Ash was. She had Pancham, who was asleep in her lap, stroking his little black and white head as he snoozed. She had a small smile on her face, looking out the window and staring at the clear blue sky. Ever since her and Ash became a couple, it had been on her mind a lot that she had been dating the man of her dreams. Her happiness couldn't even be measured. She had long waited for this to happen. She sometimes had doubts that they would be a thing, but she never gave up hope, and now, it was official. Her and Ash had told everyone they knew that they were dating, positive things coming out of their mouths as soon as they told them. But there was one person they hadn't told yet: Ash's mother Delia. They had already told her mother, but not Ash's. Serena felt as though she should tell Ash that they should tell her. She knew that she wanted everyone they knew to know about them, not to leave anyone out, and Delia was the only person (At least to Serena's knowledge) that they had not informed yet of their relationship. She was going to run that by Ash probably tomorrow when she would go back over to his place.

"I almost forgot that we haven't told Ash's mom yet. Boy, my mind wanders to places sometimes." Serena said to herself. Braixen looked up from her spot of the room and peered over at her trainer. She was wondering what she was up to. She had been laying in her spot for a while but had not once even taken a thought of thinking what her trainer might be up to. She brushed it off as something she would leave alone. She knew it involved Ash, so she just let it go and went back to her previous resting position, her movements not even catching the attention of her trainer.

Serena put her arms around Pancham's stomach and straightened herself on the couch to the point she was laying down directly where her position would give her a good view of the outside world, all the while keeping one of her arms having a good grip on Pancham as she continued to stroke his head with her other hand.

"Oh Pancham, do you think I'm thinking about this too much?" She asked.

"Pancham, Pan." Pancham replied, while shaking his head.

"Hm, I might be just thinking that." She said to herself. Pancham shrugged it off and went back to sleep. He had been with her for years. He knew when she thought too much about anything and everything, it was something he could just sense.

The last month and a half had been admirable for her. They had gone on a date once or maybe twice a week ever since they became a couple. Ash had gone outside the box when it came to what they did on their dates. It wasn't just the stuff you would usually go on a date: dinner, movie, watching the stars, etc. Ash was more elaborate when it came to planning the outline for a date. Serena had to admit, he had gotten so smart at the subject of relationships he could be considered a genius at it, even though she knew Ash would never call himself that ever. Just to think, the guy who was so dense to the idea of romance as a kid became such a clever person at it as an adult.

There was something that came to Serena's mind though. Although she and Ash told every one of their friends that they were together, they didn't really want it to be shown to the rest of the world. They did want every one of their friends to know, but that didn't mean they wanted EVERYBODY to know about it. Why would you think that everybody would know about them? Well the answer was obvious. If you were dating the World Champion, bloggers and the media would definitely make it newsworthy. It wouldn't be a rumor, since it was true, people would make the news spread more than a Greninja doing a double team. Serena didn't want that to happen. Sure, she loved the guy and wanted the whole world to know it, but not in that way. It would be too embarrassing and it would probably mentally scar both Ash and Serena for time to come, and she didn't want either of them to go through that.

But even though there was a possibility that could happen, there was a chance that it couldn't. She never saw or hear this happening when Ash married Denise or when they got divorced. No news on the tv, no articles on the internet, nada. But at the same time, if you were the World Champion dating someone new after one marriage, people who found out were sure to tell everyone they knew, and that definitely meant EVERYONE.

But that was the least of Serena's worries. Just focusing on dating Ash alone was more than enough for her to handle at once. She would just let it be that for now and if a situation like that ever popped up, her and Ash would surely find a way to deal with it.

"Maybe I am over thinking this. Thoughts that I shouldn't even be thinking about I am thinking about. I am thinking too much, too soon. I should stop and cool down before I hurt myself thinking." She said to herself, chuckling after that last line. She thought that tomorrow she would tell Ash about telling his mom that he was dating again. It was important that he let his mom know because his mom knew how vital his happiness was, and him letting her know about his new relationship would be good news to his mother so she knew that he didn't want to be lonely anymore.

She looked back out the window. She just wondered how his mom would react to them, especially her because his mom knew her and she wanted to know what she was going to think about that.

Oh boy, when that day came soon, it was going to be something to look back on.

 **The next day**

Ash had just finished up making a call the Oak's lab. Apparently Bulbasaur had felt a little queasy that morning and Ash felt concerned when he felt his forehead and it was burning up, so he got Bulbasaur back in his Pokeball and transferred him to the Oak's lab to have him examined to see what the problem was. Pikachu and the kids were a little worried as well. They loved Bulbasaur to pieces and seeing him sick was something they never expected, seeing as how Bulbasaur was perfectly fine the previous night.

"I hope Bulbasaur will be all right. He was fine last night. Something probably happened while he was sleeping." Ash said out loud. It was unknown if he was either saying that to everybody or just to himself. Maybe you could say it was both. He looked at the expressions on his kids' faces. He bent down on the floor on one knee.

"Oh don't worry kids, Bulbasaur will be fine. It's not like… he's going anywhere." Ash kind of stumbled before that last part. He didn't want to say the word "die" to his kids. It wasn't a word (Even if was just a simple one) that he felt comfortable saying to his kids, especially when it came to a Pokemon. They weren't at the age where saying that word about any living thing was the correct thing to say.

The kids took a deep breath and walked back up the stairs. Pikachu hopped up onto the counter with the look on his face having unchanged. Ash stroked his buddy's right ear to ease his tension.

"Bulbasaur will be okay, Pikachu. He's gone through this before. He's a tough one."

Pikachu looked slightly downward, and smiled small. "Pika."

Ash walked towards the family room and went to sit down on the couch and think about something. Not about Bulbasaur, but about his dating life. Serena had called him this morning and told him that when she came over today, she wanted to talk to him about something about their relationship, and deemed it was very important. Ash had no clue what, but he was going to find out later when she came over.

"Wow! Can't believe we've already been dating for a month and a half. I've felt great putting myself on the dating scene again. But what could Serena want to talk to me about it? Is there something I did wrong? I hope not. That would leave a bad taste in our mouths wouldn't it?"

A little later, Serena had arrived and Ash let her in. Ash thought that right now would be a good time to talk about what Serena had brought up earlier regarding their relationship.

"It's good that you came over today. The kids are still upstairs."

"Yeah. But before we do anything, can I talk to you for a few minutes? You saw my text this morning, right?"

Ash nodded his head. "Yeah, I saw it."

The two of them went over to the couch and sat down. Ash was the first to speak up.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"You know that we've told every one of our friends that we're dating, right?" She started.

"Yeah, I know."

"There was something I realized. I've told my mom…"

"Yeah?"

"But… we haven't told your mom yet." She finished.

That got Ash for a moment. He did just find out that he really hadn't told his mom yet about his and Serena's relationship. It was apparent that she was the only person out of everybody that they haven't told yet.

"Oh, I see. Whoops." Ash commented, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess we should set a date when we should go tell her. I think we should tell her in person, because this is something I want us to tell her face to face."

"That sounds like a good idea. Perhaps we should tell her tomorrow. Is that okay with you?" Serena asked. "I have nothing planned."

"That's perfectly fine. I have nothing planned either." He replied.

"Okay, I'm going to go see the kids for a minute. Make them know I'm here."

She went to go upstairs, leaving Ash alone on the couch. They were going to tell his mom that they were dating. Ash was wondering how his mom was going to react to this. A few different scenarios played in his mind.

Ash hoped she wouldn't take it hard.

The following day, Ash and Serena were making their way over to the house that Ash grew up in. They were without the kids and their Pokemon, as they felt this was something they wanted to do alone without anyone else's presence. They had approached the house

As they were walking up the steps to Ash's mom's house, Serena went through a few thoughts. It had been a while since she saw Ash's mom. Not since she was a kid had she seen her, so Delia might not recognize her. But at the same time, what would she say when she met up with her for the first time in almost twenty years? So many thoughts rang in her mind. Ash looked at her and saw the look on her face and seemed concerned.

"What's wrong Serena? Are you nervous or something?" Ash asked.

"Maybe a little. I haven't seen your mom in ages. What do you think she is going to say when we tell her we are dating?"

"Look, my mom is not the critical type. She's not going to judge you just because we are going out. She's not one of those mothers that's overprotective of her son due to the girl he is going out with. She wasn't even that way with Denise, so I don't think she will be that way with you." Ash explained.

"I hope you are right. But… what will she think that you are now dating again?"

"My mom is not worried about me dating again. She knows that I am a grown man and that I can make my own decisions. I know it's been almost ten months since my divorce but I do feel like I am ready again."

He knocked on the front door. Ash's mother still lived in the same house that she raised Ash in. Serena closed her eyes and mentally calmed herself down and straightened herself out. This was an important meeting, so she couldn't appear or act nervous in front of Delia. But Ash did say she wasn't the critical type, so that eased her nerves a bit. A few seconds later Delia opened the door.

"Oh hey honey. You're here." Delia said and hugged her son. "Ash, who is this with you?"

"Mom, do you remember Serena? My childhood friend that I travelled in Kalos with when I was young?"

Delia's face lightened up. "Oh yeah, I remember you. You went to Professor Oak's Summer Camp with Ash a long time ago." She went up and hugged Serena. "It's so good to see you after so long."

Serena returned the hug. "You too, Mrs. Ketchum."

"Why don't you two come in. It must have been a long walk. I have to go in the kitchen and do something first before I join you."

Ash and Serena came in. It also appeared that the inside of the house hadn't changed either. Even after sixteen years Delia (and Mr. Mime) had kept the house in top form. The two of them went over and sat down on the couch while Delia dealt with something in the kitchen. Serena looked over at Ash, who was looking at a picture on a nearby wall, and tapped his shoulder. Ash turned his head so that he was now facing her.

"So how do you think we are going to tell her?" Serena asked.

"Well, I thought that once she asked how I've been and why you came here with me, I figured that would be the best time." Ash answered. Delia came back into the room and sat down on the chair next to the couch. Delia looked very good into her age, she had hardly changed in so long.

"So, why did you want to come here today, honey?" Delia asked.

"I just wanted to tell you that I just recently got home from Johto after taking a few challengers on. I wanted to show you that I'm all right." He explained.

"I know you're always all right honey. I believe you take good care of yourself."

"Well, I just wanted to let you know anyway."

"So, how come Serena is with you?"

Ash and Serena looked at each other. Now was the time to tell her.

"Well, mom, there is another reason I came here. There was something I wanted to tell you." He started.

"Okay, I'm listening."

"I hope you don't think it's too early…"

"What do you mean?"

"Mom, about a month and a half ago… Serena and I started dating."

And right when that was said, it sent a shock up Delia's spine, but left her motionless. Now that was something she wasn't expecting. She knew that her son was dating again, but more or less his childhood friend. She didn't know how to react, so she just simply got up from her seat and went started walking away, towards the stairs.

"Excuse me, I… uh… I need to… um… go… think… for a moment." She said and started walking up the stairs. This left Ash and Serena both confused. Now they were a little worried. Was this too much for her? Was it too early? Was it a little late for her liking? What made her react this way?

"This must be pretty big news to your mom." Serena stated. "From what I saw just now, I'm not sure if it's good or bad."

Ash sighed. "I'll go talk to her."

Serena didn't try to stop him. She knew Ash wanted to talk to his mom about dating again, and thought it was the best option for him to talk to her first. Ash got up from his seat and went up the stairs to his mom's room. She had apparently shut the door, so he gave it a few light knocks.

"Mom… you okay?" He said from outside the door. She didn't respond right away, but after about twenty seconds of silence, he heard her speak up.

"You can come on in honey. I'm fine." Delia responded. Ash turned the knob and walked inside and sat down next to her on her bed.

"I'm sorry mom. I didn't think that news might have be a little too much for you." Ash stated, concerned for her.

"It wasn't too much honey. I'm happy that you're dating again. It's just… I'm a little surprised that it's Serena." She replied.

"Why are you surprised it's her?" He asked.

"The reason is because you and Serena have a history. You two have known each other since you were six or seven, so seeing as you two are now in a relationship is kind of… it's kind of sweet to see something like that." Delia explained.

"Sweet how?"

"Just imagine that you two have known each other since you were little and now are dating each other, it's like… you're childhood sweethearts. And I like that idea." Delia stated.

"You do, huh?"

"One hundred percent honey."

Now that was something Ash had never heard before: "Childhood sweethearts." The idea of that concept was new to him. He never thought he would hear it, especially if it was about him and his relationship.

"Ash…"

"Yeah mom?"

"I know it may be early in your relationship with her, but I already think that she would be perfect as your next wife."

Ash raised his eyebrows. "Really? How?"

Delia chuckled. "What can I say that I haven't said already?"

Ash had to admit, his mom was right. Scratch that, he knew she was right. He and Serena had known each other for two decades, so why couldn't they possibly get married someday? But they had only been dating for a month and a half, so that idea was still a little ways down the road, but it was something Ash had to consider if he ever wanted to make his family whole again.

"Okay mom, while we're not quite there yet, I'll give it some thought for a while." Ash stated.

"All right, honey. I don't want to rush you. I mean, she is your girlfriend after all." Delia commented.

She reached out and gave her son a hug. He smiled and returned the hug. He liked how his mother had supported him all through the twenty six years he had been her son. She may have been overbearing at times, but all in all, she was there for him, and he didn't want it any other way.

"Come on downstairs. I'll make you guys some tea. Besides, Serena's probably wondering where we are." Delia stated and the two made their way down the stairs. Once they got back in the family room, Delia went over and hugged Serena before she had a chance to speak.

"I'm sorry I walked away like that. I hope I didn't startle you." Delia said, and Serena returned the hug.

"It's okay, Mrs. Ketchum. It's no big deal." She replied.

Delia released from the hug and looked Serena in the eyes. "Please, call me Delia." And after that, she walked into the kitchen. Ash looked over at Serena with a big smile on his face. Serena looked back at him and noticed his expression.

"What?"

"We've only been dating a month and a half and my mom is already letting you call her by her first name. She must like you." Ash remarked. Serena smiled and playfully hit him in the stomach.

Now it looks like everyone approves of them. Music to their ears.

 **Author's note:** That went well, didn't it? I sure hope so. I hope it didn't seem too sappy. But you know, mom's have to support their sons no matter what because, well, they're their sons. They have to make sure they're happy by whatever means necessary. I just have to hope my mom (and dad, he's here too) support my decision with whatever girl I get in the future. What did you guys think? Was it good? Was it homely? You guys are entitled to your own opinion, just like you guys are entitled to know what the next chapter is going to be, so… here is the preview.

"What did you think of dad's last battle?" Tristan asked his sister.

"Daddy whooped that guys' behind. He didn't know what hit him." Bellamy exclaimed.

"I wonder why dad's battles always end up with him ultimately defeating his opponent." Tristan questioned.

"Oh come on, Tristan. You know why. Dad is the World Champion. Would you expect anything less from him?"

"You have a good point." Tristan replied, realizing that wasn't really a question he should've asked.

"Daddy is such an awesome battler, he makes the champions of each region seem like novice trainers." Bellamy commented.

Tristan tilted his head a little bit. "You're right. That's one way to put it. It's just that-"

"Hey!"

Tristan and Bellamy turned their heads to look to the left where the voice came from. When they saw who it was, they looked up and sighed.

"Oh no. Not these guys again." Bellamy stated, annoyed. The kid who called them out, plus a few other kids, started walking towards them, and they didn't look too happy.

"What do you want Ronald?" Tristan asked, not even bothering to make eye contact.

"Word is, your dad just beat the living daylights out of Lance of the Kanto Elite Four in a Pokemon battle."

"Yeah, he did. What about it?" Tristan asked, still avoiding eye contact.

"Well, you know what I think? I don't think your dad is all that great of a World Champion. As a matter of fact, he kind of sucks." Ronald commented. But unfortunately, that struck Tristan and Bellamy really hard, prompting them to give Ronald an angry expression. Not a glare, but just an angry expression.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bellamy asked.

"Lance has been a member of the Kanto Elite Four for more than two decades. Your dad has only been World Champion for one. The math doesn't add up."

"What are you trying to say?" Tristan asked.

"It's obvious. More experience means better. Get my drift?" Ronald stated.

Tristan and Bellamy had to admit, he had a good point. More experience did kind of factor in these days, but that didn't do anything to brighten their mood, since this was their dad he was talking about.

"That's true, but our dad is the best battler in the world. He totally dominates every battle he has." Tristan commented.

"And you know why that is? Luck. Just pure luck." Ronald responded.

"I don't think it's luck. Our dad learned a lot from battling growing up, and he uses everything he's gained in his battling and his strategies. I believe he is the greatest battler ever, hands down." Tristan explained.

"You're probably the only two who think that."

"Excuse me?"

"I doubt anyone else thinks he's that great either. The only reason people cheer in his battles is because they feel compelled to, not because he's dominant." Ronald stated.

Now Tristan and Bellamy were starting to seethe with anger. They didn't like anyone who mocked their dad's building legacy, it enraged them. They weren't going to just let this guy get away with what he was saying.

"You take that back." Bellamy retorted.

"Why would I take back something that is true?" Ronald arrogantly stated with a smirk.

The two of them had enough. "Come on, Bellamy. Let's not waste our time on this guy." Tristan said and the two of them started walking away. But before they could get far, a pair of hands grabbed the each of them, stopping their progress.

"What are you trying to say, little one?" Ronald asked with a growl.

"Let go of me." Tristan said while shoving Ronald off of him, only to be grabbed again.

"You have lunch yet? Because I've got a knuckle sandwich ready for you." Ronald growled once again, raising a fist to prove his anger.

"Just let me go." Tristan said, almost in a panicked tone.

"Looks like we'll have to do this my way then." Ronald remarked.

"Help!" Bellamy yelled, loud enough for everyone within earshot to hear her plea for help. Luckily, Ash and Serena, who were sitting on a nearby bench, heard this and recognized the voice easily, and looked over at the scene of the scuffle.

 **Author's note:** Looks like Tristan and Bellamy are in a bit of a sticky wicket. Okay, when did I become British all of a sudden? I hope I didn't offend those of you who are British. I sincerely apologize. What will occur? What will Ash and Serena do to resolve this situation? Will my boxers ever stop riding up my ass? Find out in the next chapter to see how it unfolds. I will see all you good people in about… about… Hold on… (Checks calendar) Three… Four… Five… Six… (Puts calendar away) Seven days. Man, I swear, I have the mind of a Kindergartner sometimes. So seven days. I hope I don't forget. I will see all you good people in seven days. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **"** **THAT WENT SOUTH SO FAST!"**

 **-Albert Stark, A Million Ways to Die in the West**


	11. Ruff Stuff

**TDBigJ's message:** Wow, another week is here, huh? Well how about that? And I've got a whole brand new chapter here for you. Aren't you guys excited? Well, who isn't? Can't name a single soul. I don't know. I can't see your guys' expressions through the screen. This chapter I can tell you is going to be the last chapter that will before the turning point for this story. After this chapter, the big moments will take place. But what are the big moments you ask? Well, you'll see everything within the next month. That's what I've got to say about the story, let's see what else has been going on in the last week. Back on Monday, I watched the sneak peek of the first two episodes of the Sun and Moon series, in the dub. And let me just say, I was ENTHRALLED. I loved the two sneak peeks. Seeing the introduction of the Z Moves. It was totally badass when Ash used the Z Move with Pikachu and Pikachu using an attack called "Gigavolt Havoc". Oh my God that was freaking epic! Words aren't enough to describe my emotions when that happened. I know the animation style is different and not really my cup of tea, but I'll live with it. Another thing is next week will be a little hectic for me. It's not really a big deal, but my birthday is next Tuesday. Oh man, I'm getting old. One more thing, this Sunday marks the one year anniversary of me writing in the Pokemon archive when I released In or Out last year. Hard to believe it's already been this long. One year and five stories later and this is where I'm at today? I feel as if I've made a lot of progress here in 2016. And speaking of my stories, remember last week when I said I don't know what my next story will be after this one? Well, in the last week I actually came up with an idea and I like the idea of it. It might be my next story but there's a pretty good chance it will be, but give me some time to consider it. I'm not going to go into detail about it right now but I promise I will inform you guys by the end of the final chapter. Yeah, I'm sorry I'm going to be making you guys wait almost a month to find out. Let's respond to some reviews shall we?

 **Wolves22 (Guest #1):** A baby? Let's hope so. To be honest, I'm not counting it out, but we'll see. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** We could see that or vice versa here on out. Thanks for the review!

 **ManleyTogekiss:** Okay, I see. I will do better about that in the future. That last thing, I don't really know. This story came out before the XY/Z series ended, so I didn't know if she was actually going to kiss him in the end, but I see what you said at the end there, I can't tell if you're joking or not. Thanks for the review!

 **Pinkrangerfan:** Happy to see everyone likes to see that our couple are together. Ronald will be taught a lesson but will it be by Ash? We'll see. Thanks for the review!

 **Roger0326:** I don't know, we'll see.

 **Oliverqueen01:** Whoa, I didn't know Orton did that, but it was great that he did. Yeah, it would have looked bad if it was a full sweep by Raw. I don't think that would have happened anyway. Yeah, I agree with you. The Sasha and Charlotte feud has gone on too long. They've been fighting each other for like what? Five or six months? Longer than that? And it looks like it will continue because they're fighting each other for the Women's Championship again at Roadblock: End of the Line. I am officially getting bored with the whole storyline. I thought that the conversation between Ash and his mother went well and not to gloat or anything, but I think I wrote it well. I think that the way she reacted was the most fitting. Thanks for the review!

 **TheAztecKing:** You did think it was sappy? Oh well, it doesn't matter to me. Glad you still enjoyed the chapter though. Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** Yeah, I liked the way Delia reacted as well. Yeah, Ash vs. Ronald would be impossible wouldn't it? I would never have Ash battle a kid. It wouldn't seem right. I agree as experience isn't always a deciding factor in a battle or sports for that matter. Happy to see you're looking forward to what's left in this story even though only 1/3 is left. It seems a lot of people didn't like Iris did they? She kind of bugged me a little bit as well. I just watched the episode where her and Ash had a big fight a few days ago. Her reaction to Ash giving her a bitter apple was overdramatic. How was Ash supposed to know it was bitter? Yeah, Ash did seem more mature in Diamond and Pearl. I did notice quite a bit of immaturity in the Black and White series of him, but it didn't really bother me. I enjoyed Black and White as well for the same reasons you did. I loved all the gym battles Ash did and especially all the tournaments they held. The tournaments was what I liked best about the series, and I really liked Cilan. He was one of my favorites in the series. Like I said above, I watched the first two episodes of Sun and Moon in English back on Monday on Disney XD and I freaking LOVED them. I didn't watch the movie though, but I recorded it so I will get to it sometime. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #2:** Nah, I haven't found one yet but I will keep looking. Yep, my birthday is coming up. It's next Tuesday. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** Glad you agree! Luck is a factor in battling but skills and experience do too. Two decades of experience against one and a half? Doesn't really matter. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** He's in a jail cell now, huh? Whoops! I don't want to know? Okay, then I won't ask. Yeah, I know four or five year olds don't act like that these days, but I liked to make them different. Oh man, did I make you insane again? I swear I'll go crazy if I keep this up. Lol! Thanks for the review!

 **Darkaura808:** Yeah, I agree. Everyone gets the feeling of being lonely at one point in their lives. I mean, I don't have a girlfriend and never have, but I've felt it a couple times in my life. You fell asleep reading your math book? Whoa. Yeah, it's great that Delia reacted differently but accordingly to the big news. I like the idea of the fact they have a history together. Childhood sweethearts has a nice ring to it. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and… whoever else.**

A week had passed since Ash and Serena told Delia that they were dating. The two of them were relieved to know that Delia approved of Ash dating again, and that it was Serena he was with nonetheless. Delia was just happy that she approved of the girl her son was dating, and by the way she felt, she already thought that Serena was a better fit for him than Denise. Don't get the wrong idea; Delia never disapproved of Denise when Ash started dating her back then. She thought Denise was a very considerate and thoughtful woman that her son was once married to. No one, not even Ash, really knew that his mom had silently noted that whenever Ash had started dating a new girl, she would mentally evaluate her. Of course, including Serena, Ash had only dated two girls in his lifetime, so her evaluating more in the future was probably going to be slim, but she didn't mind it, not in the least.

Delia had only known Serena for maybe a few days since she met up with her for the first time in almost twenty years, she didn't say it out loud but she already knew that Serena would be a better girl for her son than Denise was. And not only that, but a better mother for her grandchildren. Nothing against Denise, but when Ash told her that Denise hardly ever saw her kids, she felt as if they needed a new maternal role model in their life. Since Delia already knew Serena before last week, she didn't just think when it came to something like this, she knew it, and she was on the spot basically every time. Now that Ash's mother was told, everyone was informed, which gave both Ash and Serena time to breathe.

The two of them and the kids were going to the park today. Serena flashed back to the last time she was there. She actually hadn't been there since a few days before she reunited with Ash when she met that kid Troy. Just to think ever since that day, a lot had happened. She had met up with her childhood crush for the first time in sixteen years, took a trip to the Orange Islands with him and his kids, became a big part in the kids' lives, and finally got together in a relationship with him. Things couldn't be better for her right now, and little did she know it, it was the same for her boyfriend (And don't forget the kids).

This time around, the both of them would be bringing at least one or two of their Pokemon with them, since they haven't really brought them anywhere lately because of their relationship. Serena was probably going to be bringing all of hers because if she brought just one or two of them, then the other one or two would feel left out and she didn't want to do that to three of her friends. Ash had already said that other than Pikachu, he would bring Bulbasaur, since Bulbasaur loved being outside, due to being a grass type. Well, not necessarily because he was a grass type, but it made sense because of that though. Bulbasaur had gotten better since that day a couple of weeks ago. Apparently it was only a minor fever that Bulbasaur had suffered, so that was a breath of fresh air.

They had made these plans a couple of days ago. They would have gone yesterday but Ash had a battle with Misty over the course of the day and was too worn out to even move a muscle afterwards. The kids and Serena understood, he had to take his breaks after he battled, whether it was for food or just for a rest. Don't think that you've got it easy ALL the time when you are World Champion. You can't just take a vacation every other week. Well, technically you could, but Ash chose not to. You know how much he likes challenges.

That was one of the reasons why Ash and "World Champion" belonged in the same sentence. When you're a World Champion, you're basically required to like challenges and doing them on a constant basis. It was a good thing that a challenge was always Ash's preference when it came to a battle, as he didn't like facing an opponent that was easy. The harder a challenger was, the better Ash felt before, during, and after a battle, because he knew that his skills and Pokemon could get sharper, and he knew that he could only gain so little from facing an easy opponent. But it was okay, gain a little or a lot; you learned something out of it.

Ash learning something from a challenger was something HE had to do when he was a young aspiring Pokemon master. Every trainer he challenged, including his friends, got him some well needed tips and experience. When he was a kid, he had to learn from his friends. As an adult, his friends learned from him. Funny how things turn around like that, huh?

Every since the first day he became World Champion a little over a decade ago, that was how things started switching around. Ash's friends, especially those that were gym leaders, ended up learning from him how to better their battling techniques. The gym leaders that were his friends were actually the ones that challenged him the most out of everybody. Whether it was Brock, Misty, Cilan, or Clemont, they challenged him more than everybody that had challenged Ash to a battle these days. It was true that Misty, Cilan, and Clemont were still gym leaders to this day. We all know Brock stopped being a gym leader a long time ago. But the latter three still happened to be gym leaders today despite the fact that they were gym leaders when they were young travelling with Ash. But it was true that the four of them challenged Ash more than anybody on this planet.

Most of the people that wanted to battle him were either gym leaders, regional champions, former regional champions, or Elite Four members from every region. Battlers that were just trainers who only had a few years of experience or less under their belt hardly ever challenged him because they knew they would get their hind ends kicked, no doubt about it. It's best not to battle the best until you're up to at least Elite Four caliber. Ash knew for a fact that whenever he challenge an Elite Four member when he was younger he got whooped, not beating a single Pokemon. But just think things are the reverse now. The Elite Four members were the ones getting whooped by Ash most of the time. But Ash admitted that the Elite Four members weren't easy to beat. They were Elite Four members after all. If you have "Elite" in your title, there's no doubt you are one of the world's best.

But there weren't just elite battlers in the Pokemon world, there were elite coordinators and performers as well. Dawn and May were actually considered elite coordinators nowadays. They had worked extra vigorously in the last sixteen years that they became two of the world's top coordinators. Ash didn't really know anyone that was a top performer. The only friends that he had that were performers back in the day were Serena and Shauna, that was about it. He knew other people that were performers, but he never really talked to them at all. Performing wasn't something Ash paid a lot of attention to, not since Serena stopped doing it when they were younger. He liked the showcases, he watched them every so often, but there really was no one he could root for since no one he cared about did them anymore. Ash knew Serena wouldn't do them anymore even if he tried to convince her. Besides, he didn't see any girl in her twenties in the showcases. He didn't know if there was an age limit or girls just didn't feel like doing them after their teenage years. Oh well, that was something he didn't want to ponder on.

Ash was outside playing with the kids, tossing a football around to them. They had pretty good hands, but that didn't mean they caught every single one. They dropped nearly half of what Ash threw to them, but it's not like they were trying out for a peewee football team or anything.

"Dad, has football ever been something you've been interested in?" Tristan asked.

"Well, maybe sometimes. I may not watch it all the time but I do whenever I feel like watching big guys beat each other up." Ash stated.

"You actually like watching guys intentionally hurt each other?" Bellamy asked.

"Well, they do it intentionally, but not because they want to. They only do it because they have to. It's a part of their job." Ash explained.

"Okay, whatever you say, daddy." Bellamy added.

"I remember the first time I watched football. It was when I was younger I was with my friend Iris out going sightseeing. There are these two football teams in Unova named the Darmanitans and the Gerder Eleven. That was the first thing we did when we went sightseeing. It was a good game." Ash explained.

"Did your team win?" Tristan asked.

"Nah. I rooted for Team Darmanitan but they blew it in the end. Iris was rooting for the Gerder Eleven but all in all, it was a great game nonetheless."

"Seemed like you had fun." Bellamy added.

"It was. Going sightseeing with Iris is one of my favorite memories I had with her. Yes, I was annoyed that she always called me a "little kid", but she still is a good friend of mine and I enjoyed that day I had with her." Ash explained.

"Was Cilan with you?"

"No. He was busy collecting stamps at a stamp rally that day."

"Ah."

"Anyway, we should get inside. It's getting late and it's also starting to get cold."

The following day, the three of them plus Serena had gone to the park, just to have some relaxation time. There would be other people there, they knew that. But the sounds of nature and any bird Pokemon that occupied the air was what they were looking forward to.

Once they got there, Tristan and Bellamy went off to do their own thing, but not before Ash told them to not go too far off where he couldn't see them. As soon as they ran off, Ash and Serena sat down on the bench that was behind them. Ash kept a keen eye out on the kids. He mentally noted that he would peek to see what they were up to every few minutes.

"So Ash, what's next for you?" Serena asked.

"What do you mean?" He responded, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you have any more challengers in line?"

"Oh, not that I know of."

A new question raised in Serena's head, something that seemed like it would give her some more insight. "Actually, I just wanted to ask: How often do you get a new challenger?"

"Oh, well, that's an easier question to answer. I usually get one every week. I have the option to accept or decline it, but come on, based off of what you know of me, do you really think I would choose the latter?" Ash explained.

"I know. When we travelled Kalos together, there wasn't a single trainer you turned down when they challenged you to a battle." Serena stated.

"Thing is, I don't just accept challenges to make me a better battler, I do it to make my opponents better battlers too."

"That's good. At least you don't think of yourself when it comes to that."

"You know… I'm always willing to lend a hand to others when they need it most." Ash added.

Meanwhile, Tristan and Bellamy were a little ways off conversing. They had been talking about the subject Ash and Serena were talking about as well, but it was about their dad's last battle, which he had just fought a couple of days ago.

"What did you think of dad's last battle?" Tristan asked his sister.

"Daddy whooped that guys' behind. He didn't know what hit him." Bellamy exclaimed.

"I wonder why dad's battles always end up with him ultimately defeating his opponent." Tristan questioned.

"Oh come on, Tristan. You know why. Dad is the World Champion. Would you expect anything less from him?"

"You have a good point." Tristan replied, realizing that wasn't really a question he should've asked.

"Daddy is such an awesome battler, he makes the champions of each region seem like novice trainers." Bellamy commented.

Tristan tilted his head a little bit. "You're right. That's one way to put it. It's just that-"

"Hey!"

Tristan and Bellamy turned their heads to look to the left where the voice came from. When they saw who it was, they looked up and sighed.

"Oh no. Not these guys again." Bellamy stated, annoyed. The kid who called them out, plus a few other kids, started walking towards them, and they didn't look too happy.

"What do you want Ronald?" Tristan asked, not even bothering to make eye contact.

"Word is, your dad just beat the living daylights out of Lance of the Kanto Elite Four in a Pokemon battle."

"Yeah, he did. What about it?" Tristan asked, still avoiding eye contact.

"Well, you know what I think? I don't think your dad is all that great of a World Champion. As a matter of fact, he kind of sucks." Ronald commented. But unfortunately, that struck Tristan and Bellamy really hard, prompting them to give Ronald an angry expression. Not a glare, but just an angry expression.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bellamy asked.

"Lance has been a member of the Kanto Elite Four for more than two decades. Your dad has only been World Champion for one. The math doesn't add up."

"What are you trying to say?" Tristan asked.

"It's obvious. More experience means better. Get my drift?" Ronald stated.

Tristan and Bellamy had to admit, he had a good point. More experience did kind of factor in these days, but that didn't do anything to brighten their mood, since this was their dad he was talking about.

"That's true, but our dad is the best battler in the world. He totally dominates every battle he has." Tristan commented.

"And you know why that is? Luck. Just pure luck." Ronald responded.

"I don't think it's luck. Our dad learned a lot from battling growing up, and he uses everything he's gained in his battling and his strategies. I believe he is the greatest battler ever, hands down." Tristan explained.

"You're probably the only two who think that."

"Excuse me?"

"I doubt anyone else thinks he's that great either. The only reason people cheer in his battles is because they feel compelled to, not because he's dominant." Ronald stated.

Now Tristan and Bellamy were starting to seethe with anger. They didn't like anyone who mocked their dad's building legacy, it enraged them. They weren't going to just let this guy get away with what he was saying.

"You take that back." Bellamy retorted.

"Why would I take back something that is true?" Ronald arrogantly stated with a smirk.

The two of them had enough. "Come on, Bellamy. Let's not waste our time on this guy." Tristan said and the two of them started walking away. But before they could get far, a pair of hands grabbed the each of them, stopping their progress.

"What are you trying to say, little one?" Ronald asked with a growl.

"Let go of me." Tristan said while shoving Ronald off of him, only to be grabbed again.

"You have lunch yet? Because I've got a knuckle sandwich ready for you." Ronald growled once again, raising a fist to prove his anger.

"Just let me go." Tristan said, almost in a panicked tone.

"Looks like we'll have to do this my way then." Ronald remarked.

"Help!" Bellamy yelled, loud enough for everyone within earshot to hear her plea for help. Luckily, Ash and Serena, who were sitting on a nearby bench, heard this and recognized the voice easily, and looked over at the scene of the scuffle.

"What are those kids doing the two of them?" Ash exclaimed, shocked to see his kids in the grasp of the bullies.

"Don't tell me those kids are going to beat them up." Serena added.

"Well, I'm not going to let them get away with beating up my kids." Ash then got up, but Serena suddenly halted him by putting her right arm in front of him.

"No. Let me deal with this." Serena stated. Ash didn't want to make a fuss out of it, so he let her go ahead and do it. Besides, he knew the kids were important to her too, so he wanted to see how it would turn out.

"Your day is about to turn unlucky." Ronald bluntly stated. He raised his right fist, ready to strike. Tristan turned his head and closed his eyes and expected for the worst. Ronald thrust his hand forward but it was then stopped by an unknown person (Unknown to him at least). He looked up and saw them.

Serena gave Ronald a stern look, confusing him. "Don't you know that violence doesn't solve anything?"

"Well, he was saying that his dad is the best battler in the world." Ronald replied.

Serena bent down on one knee in front of Ronald. "It's okay for him to think that. He's entitled to his own opinion, just like you are. You don't threaten to hurt someone just because they disagree with you. Is that right?"

Ronald held his head down, seeing Serena had a point, his face appearing to almost have a look of shame. "Yeah, you're right."

"All right, now let him go."

Ronald let go of Tristan, brushing the kid off in return. "Look Tristan, I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"It's okay, Ronald. Forgive and forget." Tristan replied.

"Okay. Now run along." Serena added. Ronald and his friends walked away from Tristan and Bellamy.

Serena looked down at the kids. "You two okay?"

Tristan then gave Serena the biggest hug. It was such a tight hug that it made every hug he gave her in the past seem like it was just a pat on the back.

"Thanks mommy!" Tristan shouted, almost coming to tears.

There it was. He said it again. He called her "mommy" again. But unlike last time, Serena wasn't surprised by it. She just let it happen. She smiled and returned the hug. Bellamy joined in and hugged Serena as well, without the death grip that Tristan was currently using. Ash saw this from the bench and chuckled. He did hear his son call his girlfriend "mommy" again, but it didn't bother him either. He just stood there, watching his two kids hug Serena. As the three of them finished, they walked over to him. Ash looked Serena right in the eyes, almost at a complete loss for words.

Serena seemed confused as to why he was staring at her like that. "What?"

"You… you handled that really well. I… I… just… thank you for doing that." Ash stated.

"Oh, it's no big deal. I just don't want to see our- I mean, your kids get hurt." Serena replied.

Ash went up to her and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Come on, let's get home before another kid shows up and does the same thing."

"Right. Good call."

Ash grabbed Serena's right hand with his left and held it. As they walked, Serena felt better about herself. She just helped out Ash's kids in a difficult situation. Ash might've appreciated her a little more. It wasn't just a thought. She felt it. But she also felt something else…

Things were going to get serious real soon.

 **Author's note:** Glad that was settled. You think that Serena earned more points with Ash, not that she hasn't gotten a bit already? Well, I don't know. It's no big deal. Let's not focus on points right now, this isn't NASCAR or the NFL or the NBA or… sports for crying out loud. It seems that only four chapters are left after this one, and a few more big moments have yet to have occurred. Next chapter is supposed to be a big one as spoiler alert… the climax of the story will be featured. But what is the big breaking point of this story going to be? Well, read the preview and find out.

As the four of them continued walking through town, many sights and Pokemon caught their attention. When it came to the Pokemon, whether it was just the sight of them or what they were doing was what made them notice them.

"Look at that Pidgeot, daddy!" Bellamy yelled.

"Yep. Look at it. Reminds me of mine." He replied.

But after he said "Reminds me of mine", Serena saw the look on his face change a bit as he tilted his head down. His expression was a mix of sadness and strain. Strain from the thoughts that ran through his mind about his old friend: The first flying type he ever obtained as a trainer when it was in it's first evolutionary stage. When he left his friend to stay behind when he was younger, he hardly ever saw her, and it was still the same today. He never really saw Pidgeot on an occasional basis nowadays. He did see her at least once every few months, but that was it. At the most he would see her three maybe four times a year at the most, twice in the least. He really wished he kept his promise and saw Pidgeot all the time, but that was a hard one to keep. Serena knew what he was thinking about and tried to comfort him, putting her left hand on his left shoulder. As soon as she touched him, Ash turned his head to the left to look right into her blue eyes.

"I know what you are thinking about. You miss your friend, huh?"

Ash sighed. "I do. Deeply."

"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure she comes by here a lot. If you came here every so often as well, you might be able to meet up with her more than usual." She explained. The expression on Ash's face slightly changed. His eyebrows raised a little bit, and a small smile started to creep under his nose.

"Thanks Serena. I needed that." Ash responded.

She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I'm here for you. Always and forever."

Those last three words struck Ash, in a good way though. He wanted to be there always and forever for her too. He never thought he would say that towards her, but he did, and it didn't bother him even the slightest.

He grabbed her hand with his right one and kissed the top of it. "Me too." This caused Serena to blush a little.

"He said that to me too." Said a random voice. Ash knew that voice better than anybody, Serena was another story. They looked in front of them and saw none other than... you guessed it… Denise.

"What is she doing here?" Serena thought to herself.

 **Author's note:** Well, looks like Denise is making her second appearance of the story, but looks like something might happen next chapter that could make things turn around. What is Denise there for? How will both of them deal with Denise's sudden reappearance? What will happen afterwards between our hero and heroine? Get prepared because the… stuff… is going to hit the fan next chapter. How serious? You'll see. See you next week in the groundbreaking chapter. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **"** **I'm happier than a tornado in a trailer park!"**

 **-Mater, Cars**


	12. The Razors Edge

**TDBigJ's message:** Well here we are, another week, I'm another year older, hallelujah! Only a few things this week. The "another week older" thing… if you guys remember from the last chapter, it was my birthday this past week. I'm not going to make a big deal out of it. I'm not one of those people who does it. Just another year gone by I guess. Got a couple of gifts, no biggie. I'm happy with what I've got. Besides, Christmas is around the corner, I'm happy for that. I bet you guys are too. But for me, I hope this holiday season lasts. I really don't want to have it end so quickly. I mean come on, only nine more days already? Man, time flies by WAY too fast. But yet, that's just me. At least there's football and video games to occupy my time until then. I just had an interview a couple of days ago and let me just tell you, I feel as if it was my best interview to date. My confidence was pretty high afterwards. And speaking of the story, only three more chapters after this one. Hard to believe, huh? The remaining chapters are going to be event filled, and I mean it when I say that. Well, of course I have to be. If I wasn't, I would be letting you guys down, and I don't want that. I'm pretty sure you guys don't want it either, do you? I'm pretty sure. Oh well. Let's do that thing I usually do after doing my message.

 **Wolves22 (Guest #1):** I wish I could say yes, but Ally isn't in this story, so I can't. But if she's in a future story, Maybe. Thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** Maybe. I'll consider it. Thanks for the review!

 **Pinkrangerfan:** Glad you liked the chapter. As with Denise, her causing trouble with Ash and Serena, it's hard to tell. I can just say it's not intentional. You'll find out. Thanks for the review!

 **ManleyTogekiss:** Okay, it was a joke. That was my first guess. I doubt Pidgeot is angry at Ash. I wouldn't have it that way. Thanks for the review!

 **Guest #2:** Perfect couple? I agree. I wouldn't add a cat fight. That's not like me. I doubt Serena is like that anyway. Yes, the next chapter will be out soon. Thanks for the review!

 **Roger0326:** Probably not. Thanks for the review!

 **TheAztecKing:** The preview was like that to you, huh? Glad you liked the chapter. An award-winning book series? You're too kind. Thanks for that! Thanks for the review!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** Yeah, I thought Serena dealing with them was better as it showed that she really thinks about the kids. A little Amourshipping at the end I felt was needed, as there haven't been much in this story. Let's just say this chapter is the big turning point in the story and Ash and Serena's relationship. More Amourshipping moments are to come, just you wait. Yeah, I wish that too. Thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** I felt that Tristan calling Serena "mommy" again and her reacting calmly about it was a moment they needed. Why is she here? Read on and find out. Thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** He's going crazy isn't he? *Shudders* Glad you liked the chapter. I'm wondering why I'm making the kids sound like adults. Beats the hell out of me. I hope he's not too crazy before this is all over. Thanks for the review!

 **Oliverqueen01:** Oh boy, I hope Charlotte's PPV winning streak ends. That's getting old too. I do agree Raw has been slipping this year. I also agree that Smackdown just feels like it's been the best one since the brand split. That show has just been entertaining me more in recent months. Yeah, it seems Raw is only focusing on Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho, and Seth Rollins lately, and it is bugging me as well. Smackdown seems to switch it up every now and then which is why it's better right now. I see that the "mommy" moment was better this time around. I just felt Serena handling the situation was better because like you said she would've been more calm rather than Ash as he would be hot-headed and irrational. Well, here is the next chapter and if you've been reading the reviews, you know what direction it's going to be heading in. I like how they're being more "coupley" too. Thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and… whoever else.**

It had now hit the four month mark. That's right. Ash and Serena had officially been dating for four months. A lot of time had passed, they had gone on quite a bit of dates, and Serena had watched Ash in his prime battle a lot of challengers. They had a date once every week, whether it was out and about, or just at the house. Serena's life had been at it's best in almost seventeen years. There hadn't seemed to be a dull moment since she started dating him, and not just for her, but for him too, but more so on her end. The kids themselves knew it was close, Serena knew it was close, and believe it or not, Ash thought it was close. Only time would tell.

A little while later and the four of them would be together to do something that Ash had planned himself. He wanted to show them something or more importantly, someone that he hadn't seen in a while. He had seen her recently, but didn't have the time to walk up to her and talk to her since she was a little ways off, but he knew she wouldn't be going anywhere soon, so he had a plan to meet up with her today, before she did leave.

Ash looked through a photo album that contained pictures of his past journeys and memories in more recent years. Some of the pictures were of either his friends, his Pokemon, or both, but the ones that stood out the most were the ones mostly of his battles during his years as a young trainer. Battles between gym leaders and ones against fellow trainers either out on land or in the various Pokemon Leagues he competed in. It had the whole kit and caboodle. Ash himself didn't put those pictures in the album, it was mainly Bellamy who did it, with Tristan's help once in a while. She found some pictures of them on Delia's old camera that she was more than willing to let them borrow. One day Bellamy thought she would ask her grandmother if she had any pictures of her father's battles from when he was a young man. Most of the pictures were from leagues mainly because those were the only battles Delia caught back then because, well, it's pretty obvious.

Ash admitted that Bellamy (Plus Tristan's occasional help) did a pretty great job putting this album together. The pictures weren't neatly cut but good enough to know what the pictures looked like. Come on, they are only four and five for crying out loud. The league that they got the most pictures from was the Silver Conference in Johto. Ash remembered, his mom was at that league watching him so that's why she was able to get in person shots of him competing in the league. Plus, the pictures had better quality too, so that was a pro. But there were other pictures that had been added, a few months ago to be exact.

The pictures from the Orange Islands vacation they took a while ago. There were pictures of him, the kids, and Serena standing inside the Orange Islands Stadium where he won the Orange League when he was ten. There was even a picture they took inside the Orange League hall of fame. And guess what the picture was? It was of Ash standing next to the picture of himself when he won the Orange League. Yep, the picture that was taken when he won the League that day was the picture he was standing next to in that photo. It was a good thing that picture was taken too, because Ash would only get to see that picture of him as a young Orange League Champion whenever he went to the Orange Islands, so getting that photo would make him able to see it whenever he wanted.

Then Ash thought of something. He knew there were going to be photos added to this album at later dates, but not specifically of his friends and/or his Pokemon. They were going to be of the four of them creating more memories. And Ash didn't know it quite yet, but they could be of photos of them as a family if that ever came to be.

Ash didn't quite know yet how long it would be for him and Serena to be dating when he ever got the idea to propose to her, if that ever was going to happen. Ash didn't have a clue if he would ever do that, but his mother brought it up a while ago when he and Serena told her that they were dating. If Ash did, he didn't want to rush into it. Of course, he and Serena had known each other for almost two decades, so they already knew a lot about one another, so if Ash ever got that idea of proposing, it would only be a matter of time, but he wasn't saying it's definite.

But that brought up another thing that seemed to enter his head. When he told his mom about the two of them, Delia said they were like "childhood sweethearts". That sort of thing was new to his mind. He never knew there could be such a thing. He didn't have that when he was married to Denise because they didn't meet when they were kids. They met when they were about nineteen years old so that "name" didn't apply to them, but since Ash and Serena have known each other forever, it would to them. But would Ash like them being called that if they ever did? He knew Serena probably would, but him? If it did it would take a while for him to get used to being called that.

But thing is, her happiness was very vital to him, more so than his own. Ash knew that would be important in his relationship and very thoughtful as well. Heck, his kids' happiness was more important to him than his own as well. That was one of the most admirable traits of his that he owned. Not only did his kids, Serena, and his mom know about that, but his friends did (Even Iris). Also most of the general public knew about him whenever he showed up at events as a surprise guest when he did so unannounced. He never once did his battles for himself, it was for the fans. He liked giving them a show and showing what dedicating your training with your Pokemon could prove to the world.

Many of the fans thought Ash had a promising bunch of Pokemon at his disposal. They could even see from the chemistry he had with them and what power they showed that they had been a well trained group while Ash was their trainer. And everything that Ash had learned from his young training days what he used in his battles, and no we're not talking about the basics. Mega evolution, Z-moves, etc. He had seemed to know to perfect each of the advanced strategies of battling.

When it came to his Pokemon, a lot of his fans had a specific favorite out of them. Whether it was Bulbasaur, Krookadile, Buizel, Gliscor, everyone had their favorite. But out of all of them, their most favorite was, wouldn't you know it: Pikachu.

People choosing Pikachu as their favorite of Ash's Pokemon, well, there was a lot of reasons. From what they saw from the bond of the two of them, it was easy for them to tell Ash had done well with his best friend. The attacks Pikachu had at his arsenal was what impressed people the most. His attacks were not what most Pikachu's had acquired, so that told people a lot about what Ash and Pikachu had been through over the years. The moves he had, like: Thunderbolt, iron tail, electro ball, it was massive, and by massive, I mean powerful. People also had a favorite attack of Pikachu's as well. A lot of people loved his iron tail, a lot of people loved his electro ball, heck, even some people loved his quick attack, but little to their knowledge, Ash's favorite attack of Pikachu's had always been thunderbolt. It was his most dynamic attack, and a lot of battles ended with Ash using Pikachu's thunderbolt, even the times when he was young it was almost always the attack that sent Team Rocket blasting off whenever they encountered Ash and whoever his travelling companions/friends were at the time. No one thought that any of Ash's other Pokemon had a better variety of moves than Pikachu.

Then Ash thought of Team Rocket. He didn't even want to bother thinking about those morons. The many times they tried to capture Pikachu or all of his and his friends' Pokemon. Those three weirdos were a pain in the ass when they pestered Ash all the time when he was younger. Sure, he was grateful that they helped him on an occasional basis, only for them to resort back to their dastardly tactics the next time they encountered him. Boy, did that get overbearing really quick. Ash was just glad that he never came across them anymore. The evil organizations were still out there but they were a lot quiet nowadays, not even making the news anymore. Either they didn't want to create a ruckus anymore, or they were secretly planning something and they were taking their precious time with it.

Ash had really been thinking about his childhood a lot in recent months. He thought about it and he thought about that more than anything. It wasn't something that bothered him but on occasion he'd like to think of something else that wasn't Pokemon or childhood related. He looked down a few feet in front of him. Pikachu was lying down, curled up and sleeping in front of the fireplace (Which was on). It was a little cold out today but not extremely, just a tad.

Ash got up and went to the back window and looked outside. He had a thing to do later, and he knew why he was doing it.

Once the four of them left, which was around 1:30 in the afternoon, they started making their way towards an area that had a big body of water that could be considered an ocean, although it was just like a bay area, but not really huge, just huge. Ash had an idea of what he was doing while on this excursion. He didn't want to spoil it to the kids and not to Serena either. Besides going to meet his old friend, he had something else lined up to do.

He was actually going to meet up with one of his friends/former travelling companions while he was out. That one person was Misty. After they met up with Ash's "old friend" they would go and go to another place that Ash thought he would go to when he needed to relax… or other reasons.

The reasons he was meeting up with Misty because the second half of his time out today was around something Misty knew a lot about: water. Well she actually knew a lot about water types so he didn't really think that counted. He knew she had a place where she would go to relax and thought that it would work out for Ash as well, and maybe Serena and the kids.

"I actually haven't seen Misty in a while. Do you know if she's been up to anything lately?" Serena asked.

Ash slowly shook his head. "Not that I know of. She's just still in Cerulean City tending to her gym with her sisters. She does most of the battles these days but they help her out with the gym once in a while."

"I know about that battle you guys had a while ago. It was pretty brutal. You seemed to wipe the floor with her, but it was a good battle to watch anyway. Shows how far you two have come in such a long time." Serena explained.

"I suppose we both have made each other better in some way over the years." He stated.

"Ash, you have made all of your friends better over the years, and vice versa."

"I suppose so."

"So daddy, where is this friend of yours we're meeting?" Tristan asked.

"In a place that I know was special between us." Ash replied.

The place that they were going to was the place where they parted ways when he was younger. He never showed his kids and Serena who this was. The friend, he was talking about, was Pidgeot.

How could Ash forget about the most loyal flying type that he ever caught? They had been through a lot when he was travelling here in Kanto. They say that the first is always the best, and Ash didn't want to choose between his Pokemon, but he felt as if Pidgeot always had a special place in his heart. Whenever he saw Pidgeot every once in a while, he would go out and do it on his own. He mostly did it in the early morning while the kids were still sleeping. He would go out to the spot that he left Pidgeot when he was younger and meet her there, but today he thought he would let the others see who she was, because none of his friends, with the exception of Brock and Misty, knew who Pidgeot was, so he felt it was time to introduce her to the other people who were important to him, starting with his girlfriend and family.

"Just wait until they see her. She still feels like family to me." Ash thought to himself.

As the four of them continued walking through town, many sights and Pokemon caught their attention. When it came to the Pokemon, whether it was just the sight of them or what they were doing was what made them notice them.

"Look at that Pidgeot, daddy!" Bellamy yelled.

"Yep. Look at it. Reminds me of mine." He replied.

But after he said "Reminds me of mine", Serena saw the look on his face change a bit as he tilted his head down. His expression was a mix of sadness and strain. Strain from the thoughts that ran through his mind about his old friend: The first flying type he ever obtained as a trainer when it was in it's first evolutionary stage. When he left his friend to stay behind when he was younger, he hardly ever saw her, and it was still the same today. He never really saw Pidgeot on an occasional basis nowadays. He did see her at least once every few months, but that was it. At the most he would see her three maybe four times a year at the most, twice in the least. He really wished he kept his promise and saw Pidgeot all the time, but that was a hard one to keep. Serena knew what he was thinking about and tried to comfort him, putting her left hand on his left shoulder. As soon as she touched him, Ash turned his head to the left to look right into her blue eyes.

"I know what you are thinking about. You miss your friend, huh?"

Ash sighed. "I do. Deeply."

"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure she comes by here a lot. If you came here every so often as well, you might be able to meet up with her more than usual." She explained. The expression on Ash's face slightly changed. His eyebrows raised a little bit, and a small smile started to creep under his nose.

"Thanks Serena. I needed that." Ash responded.

She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I'm here for you. Always and forever."

Those last three words struck Ash, in a good way though. He wanted to be there always and forever for her too. He never thought he would say that towards her, but he did, and it didn't bother him even the slightest.

He grabbed her hand with his right one and kissed the top of it. "Me too." This caused Serena to blush a little.

"He said that to me too." Said a random voice. Ash knew that voice better than anybody, Serena was another story. They looked in front of them and saw none other than... you guessed it… Denise.

"What is she doing here?" Serena thought to herself.

Ash was surprised to see that his ex-wife had shown up. This was a rare encounter. It was something that he didn't really want happening, especially since he was now dating someone else, but he didn't know that Serena had met Denise once before, and they talked.

"Denise, hi. What have you been up to?" Ash asked.

"Hey, I've been just doing my job. Going around the world and gathering reports on many trainers and elite four members." Denise explained.

"Hi mom." Tristan and Bellamy said simultaneously.

"Hi babies." She replied as she walked up to the two of them and hugged them. They were good kids so they hugged back. Hey, they still loved their biological mother. She released the hug and turned back to Ash. "Actually, I was going to ask you the same thing. What have you been up to?"

"You know how busy being a World Champion has been for me. I've been battling challengers every time one challenges me." He responded.

"Okay then. But there is one other thing I'm wondering…"

Ash had a feeling he knew where this was heading. He took a deep gulp and prepared for what was coming.

"Have you been seeing anyone?" She asked.

It was a question regarding the subject he was expecting, but not the question he was thinking about, so he mentally relaxed a bit.

"Yeah, but why do you ask?" He asked.

"It's just because I've been seeing someone as well."

"You have?" Ash asked.

"Just recently actually. Is she who you're dating?" She asked, pointing at Serena.

"Yeah she is. I've known her since my childhood. She made me happy that I put myself out there again. What about you?"

"He's a guy I met while I was out gathering information for an article I was writing. And seeing how I've ran into you kind of makes things run through my mind."

"What sort of things?"

"Seeing as how we've both moved on, dating someone else, it kind of reminds of the good times we had." She explained.

"It does?" He asked.

"Certainly. I mean of course, I like the new guy I'm dating, but, it almost makes me sad looking back at what we had."

"I see."

"Look Ash, we may be divorced, but I still see you as a good friend, and I'm glad I think that. We're still on good terms, right?"

Ash nodded his head. "Of course."

"Were you on your way to do something?" She asked.

"Yeah." He replied.

"Well, I'll get out of your hair. I've got somewhere to be as well."

"Okay, I'll see you later." He stated.

Denise went up to him and hugged him. "Thanks for being there when you were. I'll see you later Serena. Sorry I hardly talked to you."

"It's okay. No big deal."

After that, Denise walked away doing to do the thing she brought up. But as soon as she was out of sight, a thought rang in Ash's mind, and it was not one he was comfortable with, and he was pretty sure Serena wouldn't be either.

"Ash, are you okay with what she said?" She asked him.

Ash took a moment to respond. "Yeah. But… it's… just…"

"Just what?"

Ash sighed deeply, getting ready to say something that he knew would bite him in the butt at a later time.

"I feel… as if… I still have feelings for her." He finished.

This line surprised Serena, and the kids a little bit as well. This wasn't something any of them were expecting. The kids didn't think their dad would say something like that… And Serena didn't either. Serena thought something over for a second and then decided to speak up.

"Ash, come with me for a second." She said and walked behind a corner of the building so they could talk in private. Once they saw that they were alone, Serena went ahead with what she was going to say.

"Ash, what do you mean you still have feelings for her?" She asked.

Ash felt Butterfrees in his stomach. This was going to be hard to explain, but he had to. "It's just that… seeing her for the first time since we've been divorced has put second thoughts in my head. It's not something I'm comfortable with, but it's just… I don't know." He said, not really being able to think of anything else to say. Now it was time for Serena to get her point across.

"Look Ash, listen to me…" She started, her tone now dead serious, which was not something she did a lot. Ash noticed it, and it was something he hadn't seen her do since that time when they were in the Snowbelle City forest when they were younger.

"I'm not the one to usually complain about my man still having feelings for his ex, but I'm nowhere near okay with hearing you say that. It hurts me actually." She explained.

"Plus, I know you two can still be friends, and I'm okay with that. But if you still have feelings for her in some way, not to sound selfish or anything, but I don't know what that means for me." She explained some more. Ash was hit hard by these words. He knew she was right, but what could he do?

"Look I'm sorry you feel that way, but it's a thought that popped up in my head. I didn't think before I said that." Ash stated.

Serena covered her eyes with her right hand for a brief moment before continuing. "Ash if you still have feelings for your ex-wife… then… I don't know if we can have a future together." She then thought of one last thing to say. "If you want to stay with me, then I want you to prove you're over Denise." She started walking away but stopped a few seconds later. "I'll see you guys later. I'll be heading home." She then walked away, out of sight, tears welling up in her eyes. Tristan and Bellamy came up to Ash, who was holding his head down in shame.

"Daddy, why is Serena leaving?" Bellamy asked.

Ash closed his eyes. "Because daddy made a big mistake." Tristan and Bellamy then had blank expressions on their faces.

"Come on, let's go see my friend." Ash said and the three of them continued making their way to see Pidgeot.

Ash knew this meeting with Pidgeot wasn't going to be as good without Serena there with them, but he didn't want Pidgeot to be upset with him if he didn't show up, so he still planned on doing it. But the thing he was going to do later seemed like a lost cause now, so he thought that he would call Misty later and tell her not to bother meeting up with him after what had just happened. Ash knew what he did was wrong, and he might have just lost a relationship with the best girl he ever knew because of it.

Once he got home later, he had some serious thinking to do.

 **Author's note:** Uh oh. Things have taken a turn for the worse for our couple have they? I'm not liking this but… who knows where things will go for them. We have officially gotten to the breaking point of this story, but with only three chapters left, there are still a few things left to happen in this story. What will they be? I know the first one will be in the next chapter. What is it you ask? Well, read on and you'll find out.

Ash had been sitting there for a good three hours thinking of how he was going to prove to Serena that he was over his ex-wife. Many, many ideas popped up into his head but not one seemed plausible. He did want to be with Serena but if this thing was still on his mind, what Serena said would be true.

They both had done a lot of good things since they've gotten together. The weekly dates they went on, her cuddling with him when they watched a movie together, the kisses they shared when the kids weren't in the room, it was all great, and he didn't want to lose it. Plus, he didn't want the kids to lose it either.

Ever since Serena last saw Ash, the kids were pretty down that she hadn't been around in a while. It was like they were losing another mother figure and he felt terribly bad. He wasn't just ruining it for him, he was ruining it for them. The kids even tried to come up with ideas of how they could help him with this, but since they were kids and never been on a date before, they couldn't come up with anything.

Ash knew that wherever Serena was, she was thinking this over as well, but probably not in the same way he was. He wished to ask her what she was thinking about but due to the fact that they haven't talked in weeks, he had a feeling she wouldn't answer him. She wouldn't even answer his calls so why would she answer any questions he would ask?

He knew what he did was a huge mistake, and he needed to think of a way to fix it, but what? Ash had already been asking his mom and a few of his friends as to what he could do and for any advice they could have, but they didn't have a clue as to what to do to help him. He told them that he and Serena weren't broken up, but they had not seen each other in a while, and it was getting rough on him and he was pretty sure it was rough on her too. The many things the kids have asked him lately about him seeing Serena again were only hurting every time they asked.

 _"_ _When is Serena coming over again?"_

 _"_ _Are you and Serena okay?"_

 _"_ _I miss her. Will she ever come back?"_

 _"_ _Are you two still together?"_

And Ash answered each question with the same response: I don't know. And that was the true answer. He wasn't just saying that just to say it, that was the truth, and he needed to admit it. He then thought of the statement she said the day they last saw each other…

 _"_ _If you want to stay with me, then I want you to prove you're over Denise."_

He totally just remembered that line. She wanted him to "prove" he was over Denise. He then figured out that he would use that as motivation.

He then sat up and got a determined look on his face. He knew how to prove to Serena she was the one and his past was the past. He picked up his cell phone and texted her a message.

 **Author's note:** Ooh, Ash is up to something and I DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS! Oh, uh, oops. Sorry about that. That's not what I wanted to shout. But yeah, what is Ash up to? What is this idea he's got in his head? Oh my God, THE WHOLE WORLD WANTS TO KNOW! Damn it! Didn't even want to shout that one. But let's see next week what happens. Next chapter is going to be big and it's a good time too since it will be two days before Christmas so it's like I'm giving you guys an early Christmas present. Let's see though in a week. I'll see you guys in a bit. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **"** **I'm going to get a huge migraine in the parking lot in about twenty minutes."**

 **-Ted, Ted 2**


	13. Can't Stand Still

**TDBigJ's message:** Well, here we are… chapter 13. Hard to believe we've already made it this far. Only two chapters left after this one *Sad face*. I feel like the last chapter was pretty upsetting, seeing as what happened. It felt pretty down of a chapter. Ash saying that didn't seem right, but, this story needed some drama as not a lot of it has happened in it. But on the bright side, some people liked it. Oh well, let's get past that. Let's focus on the rest of the story. Seeing as this is the third to final chapter, I can already give you a spoiler, something big is going to happen in this chapter. Go ahead and take your guesses, but make them quick as you'll find out by the end of the chapter what it will be. Consider this chapter as an early Christmas present. The final three chapters are pretty big ones as each will have a big event in them. Just sit tight and read on. Let's get to the responding of your guys' thoughts of the last chapter, it's about time I did.

 **Wolves22 (Guest #1):** I wish I could, but I don't think I will be able to. Thanks for the review and Merry Christmas!

 **Espeon44:** I'll consider them. Merry Christmas!

 **ManleyTogekiss:** I like to keep this story sane. I didn't feel like a physical conflict would help, but go ahead and use that idea. Thanks for the review and Merry Christmas!

 **Fred the FHRITP Guy:** That's very funny. Good how that plays out, huh? Thanks for the review and Merry Christmas!

 **Armorshippingfan:** Let's see if your hopes will turn out positive. Thanks for the review and Merry Christmas!

 **Shadic4566:** I know, dumb move. I hope so too. I agree, they were made for each other. Oops, I spelled Krookodile wrong? Thanks for catching that. Thanks for the review and Merry Christmas!

 **Guest #2:** Thank you. Yes, the next chapter of the crossover fic will be out soon, 1-2 weeks to be exact. You have a merry Christmas too and thanks for the birthday wishes. Thanks for the review and Merry Christmas!

 **Roger0326:** Well, here it is. Merry Christmas!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** Well, it seems I made you madder. I am ashamed. At least you're a little sane now. I know, the whole idea of him saying that is insane. The last chapter was nowhere near my proudest chapter, but it was needed for drama. Sorry I made you more madder than you usually are. Thanks for the review and Merry Christmas!

 **Jpr123:** Yeah, I know. From the above review, I am ashamed quite a bit from the last chapter. But I'll get over it. Yeah, I would to the same to my girlfriend (If I had one) if she said the same thing. But when you say Ash is dumb, I'm the dumb one here. I'll admit it for what happened. Thanks for the review and Merry Christmas!

 **TheAztecKing:** It makes my day when someone like you says I'm an amazing writer. I don't praise myself but thank you so much. Your last comment means a lot to me. I hope that I do become a writer someday, that is my dream. Thanks for the review and Merry Christmas!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** Glad you agree it adds some drama. The thing he came up with is pretty different if you ask me. Not something you would normally see someone do to prove they are over their ex. I'm happy you liked the chapter. Thanks for the review and Merry Christmas!

 **Darkaura808:** Don't sweat it man, as long as you review, I'm happy. I'll respond to both, it doesn't bother me. Glad you liked the scene of her handling him. I felt like her doing it was better suited for the story. Yeah, I know, only two chapters left after this one. Yeah, I'm glad Ash still does that. Glad you liked it. Thanks for the review and Merry Christmas!

 **Oliverqueen01:** You're not going to watch RAW anymore? I understand why you don't want to from now on. Charlotte becoming RAW Women's Champion again pissed me off. It will never end will it? I'm freaking surprised Cesaro and Sheamus won the tag titles. That was a big shocker. Yeah, I'm not happy Neville is turning heel as he is one of my favorites, even though he's hardly ever on. Smackdown is DEFINITELY the better show these days. I enjoy it tons more than RAW to be honest. I'm happy to know you thought it was a well written chapter. It's good that Ash and Denise aren't hostile towards each other. Yeah, I agree, I wish life was like that sometimes. Those seem like two rather interesting options, especially the latter one. Good to know someone liked her reaction as it seemed fitting. Thanks for the review and Merry Christmas!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and… whoever else.**

He just wondered what he should do. He wanted to further his relationship with Serena but he needed to move on first. She told him that if they wanted to go to the next level together he needed to prove that he was completely over his ex-wife. Sure he wasn't married to Denise anymore and they had been divorced for well over a year now, but he still had a little bit of her on his mind, which Serena didn't want. He had been dating Serena for five months and he knew that Serena was a very understandable woman but he found out that she was one of those women that didn't want her man thinking about his ex-wife if he was dating her. Not in the way you're thinking. Ash understood where she was going with this, and he agreed with her. If Denise was still on his mind every so often then what future would he and Serena have?

Ash didn't want to think about Denise anymore but it was hard to erase her from the proximity of his mind. He was beginning to have doubts if he could even get over her. But why was it so hard? HE was the one who divorced her, so why was he feeling this way? He wanted to be with Serena but if getting over Denise was so hard near to impossible, then they couldn't be together any longer, which would not devastate Serena, but himself as well. Since he reunited with her so long ago his feelings toward her had changed. He never really knew why, but he regretted not returning her feelings when they were ten. When she told him that she had a crush on him ever since they were young, his whole vision of her had changed, for the better. He wanted their relationship to advance further. Marriage wasn't on the mind quite yet. But he wanted to be with her longer than five months.

But right now, was there even a chance it could?

He continued to lay there. Thinking about more possible solutions.

Meanwhile, Tristan and Bellamy were lying in their room as well. They had been thinking of ways to possibly help their dad prove to Serena that he was over their mother and he could be with her from now on, but you know, they weren't really smart when it came to this, so they didn't have the faintest idea of what they could do.

"Tristan, when do you think dad will get Serena back?" Bellamy asked.

"I don't know, Belle, I just don't know." Tristan replied.

"Well, in order for daddy and Serena to be together forever, dad needs to prove to her that he's over mom." Bellamy added.

"Do you think he should be over mom?"

"I think not in general, but as a wife, yes." Bellamy answered.

"I agree."

"Just look, Serena has done everything for us since she reunited with dad about eight months ago. We know she would not only be the perfect mom for us, but the perfect wife for daddy." Bellamy explained.

"You bring up a good point, Bellamy." Tristan added.

"I know what dad said was wrong, but I feel as if dad is being too hard on himself."

"That's true. But he's probably just thinking too hard on this whole situation. It's been almost a whole month since we last saw Serena, I'm starting to feel a little hurt by this as well." Tristan explained.

"Me too. Dad admits he made a mistake, but he can get through this. If he got through many situations with mommy, he can get through this with Serena. I just know he can." Bellamy explained.

"Same here. Now, let's keep thinking of ideas to help him out." Tristan added.

"Right."

Night came and Ash had made his way into bed, as did the kids. But Ash was having a hard time trying to sleep. It had been like this for the past four weeks. Almost every night Ash found difficulty trying to fall asleep because this whole thing had been keeping him awake at night. Some nights he got to sleep but not easily, and others, he was lucky if he even got a few hours. Fortunately, he didn't wake up drowsy on most mornings, but like it meant anything.

He thought on and on about what he could do to prove to Serena that she was the next one for him. Idea after idea clouded his mind but nothing seemed good enough. This was going to be a tough situation to overcome.

Ash slapped himself in the forehead. Why? Why did he say that idiotic thing a few weeks ago? To his girlfriend nonetheless? No girl who was in a relationship wanted to hear that from their boyfriend. What kind of imbecile says to their girlfriend "I still have feelings for my ex."? Ash felt like he was the biggest moron on the face of planet Earth right now. He had told his friends about the situation, none of them were too hard on him, although they weren't too pleased with hearing what he said, but they didn't berate him or anything. He was lucky that Iris didn't call him a "little kid" when he told her. She actually was like "Suck it up Ash. You know what to do. I know you can think of something."

Ash's Pokemon were even saddened by the event. They enjoyed seeing Serena just as much as Ash and the kids did, and since they hadn't seen her in four weeks, they were getting worried. Everyone was getting worried. It was hay day.

Ash needed to stop keeping himself up at night. But the only solution to that would be to come up with something that would solve this whole predicament, and the end was nowhere in sight. He turned off the lamp and hoped he would get some sleep tonight, if he was lucky enough.

The following day was no better for our hero. He was still struggling to come up with an idea to prove to Serena that she was "the one" for him now. This was getting out of hand. He was wearing himself out just thinking about this.

Pikachu was a couple feet next to him on the bed. His worried expression was just as bad as his partner's. He loved Serena as well, as much to call her his second trainer. He didn't want either of them to feel unhappy over this whole thing. He would come up with an idea and tell his buddy as well, if he could talk human talk like that pesky Meowth could.

Ash had been sitting there for a good three hours thinking of how he was going to prove to Serena that he was over his ex-wife. Many, many ideas popped up into his head but not one seemed plausible. He did want to be with Serena but if this thing was still on his mind, what Serena said would be true.

They both had done a lot of good things since they've gotten together. The weekly dates they went on, her cuddling with him when they watched a movie together, the kisses they shared when the kids weren't in the room, it was all great, and he didn't want to lose it. Plus, he didn't want the kids to lose it either.

Ever since Serena last saw Ash, the kids were pretty down that she hadn't been around in a while. It was like they were losing another mother figure and he felt terribly bad. He wasn't just ruining it for him, he was ruining it for them. The kids even tried to come up with ideas of how they could help him with this, but since they were kids and never been on a date before, they couldn't come up with anything.

Ash knew that wherever Serena was, she was thinking this over as well, but probably not in the same way he was. He wished to ask her what she was thinking about but due to the fact that they haven't talked in weeks, he had a feeling she wouldn't answer him. She wouldn't even answer his calls so why would she answer any questions he would ask?

He knew what he did was a huge mistake, and he needed to think of a way to fix it, but what? Ash had already been asking his mom and a few of his friends as to what he could do and for any advice they could have, but they didn't have a clue as to what to do to help him. He told them that he and Serena weren't broken up, but they had not seen each other in a while, and it was getting rough on him and he was pretty sure it was rough on her too. The many things the kids have asked him lately about him seeing Serena again were only hurting every time they asked.

 _"_ _When is Serena coming over again?"_

 _"_ _Are you and Serena okay?"_

 _"_ _I miss her. Will she ever come back?"_

 _"_ _Are you two still together?"_

And Ash answered each question with the same response: I don't know. And that was the true answer. He wasn't just saying that just to say it, that was the truth, and he needed to admit it. He then thought of the statement she said the day they last saw each other…

 _"_ _If you want to stay with me, then I want you to prove you're over Denise."_

He totally just remembered that line. She wanted him to "prove" he was over Denise. He then figured out that he would use that as motivation.

He then sat up and got a determined look on his face. He knew how to prove to Serena she was the one and his past was the past. He picked up his cell phone and texted her a message.

 _"_ _If you get this meet me by the oceanfront tomorrow evening at 6:30. And wear something nice."_

He hoped she would look at her phone and read that. She probably knew what he was talking about since it was coming from him, but he would respond if she asked why.

He put a lot of thought into this. He crossed his fingers, hoping this would work.

 **The next day**

Ash stood by the oceanfront, all dressed up. He was wearing a gray long sleeve dress shirt, black jeans, and brown sandals. If this was something he was serious about, he needed to be dressed properly.

Both his hands were in each pocket. He felt around each pocket. Both pockets contained an item. Each of these items was going to be proving something tonight. Ash just hoped she would show up. It would be a waste of time if she didn't. She never responded back to his message yesterday about her meeting him here today. He was worried she would not show up but he didn't lose faith. This was his childhood friend he was talking about, someone who had been by his side for almost two decades. He knew she wouldn't let him down, but after what happened four weeks ago, there would be a chance she might, but he knew she wouldn't.

It was now 6:30 in the evening. Ash just checked his watch and then looked behind him. She was nowhere in sight yet. He took a deep breath. He didn't want to give up hope. That was not like him.

Twenty more minutes passed and she still hadn't shown up. Ash kept taking glances behind him to see if she was coming. But each time was a waste, as she wouldn't be seen each time. The sun was starting to set, and the sky emitted a red-orange aura, and the sun was halfway down on the horizon.

Five more minutes had passed and she still hadn't shown up. Ash was just about to call it a night. It had been a while since he got here, about a good forty minutes to be exact.

Ash took a deep sigh and closed his eyes. "Maybe she isn't coming at all." He said to himself.

"Maybe you shouldn't assume while your eyes are closed." Said a voice. Ash swiftly opened his eyes and looked to his left. She was there. Serena had made it. He mentally sighed, seeing as she did decide to come.

"Oh, you made it. I'm quite happy to see you." He stated. He looked at her. She was wearing a knee high white sleeveless dress, white sandals, diamond earrings and silver cross shaped necklace.

"You look… Very beautiful." He commented.

"Thank you. And you look very dashing." She replied.

"You know why I wanted you to meet me here, right?"

"I wouldn't think it's anything else."

Ash took a deep breath, turned so he was facing her, and grabbed her hands.

"Look Serena, this may sound cliché, but what I said four weeks ago was a huge mistake. What I said was stupid and I was an idiot for saying it." Ash started.

"Ash, don't be so hard on yourself. Yes, I didn't like what you said either, but that doesn't' mean I want you punishing yourself for what you did." Serena added.

"But one thing I want to ask you is… do you really still have feelings for Denise? And be completely honest." She started, tone calm but serious.

"To be truthful, I still do love her but only as a friend. That part of loving her as a wife is over. That part of my life is done." Ash responded.

"But how are you going to prove to me you are over her?" Serena asked, wanting a definite explanation.

"I figured out a way to prove it." Ash said and reached into his left pocket…

And took out a ring. Serena was surprised by it.

"Ash… are you… proposing?" She asked, unsure where he was headed with this.

"Actually… no. I'm not. If I were to propose, I wouldn't use my wedding ring from my past marriage for it." He replied. Serena was now definitely unsure what was going on.

"This is my wedding ring when I was with Denise. It cost a good five thousand dollars when I bought it. I may have some good memories with this ring. But you know what…"

Ash put the ring in his right hand and looked at it once more. He closed his eyes and clenched it in his hand by closing his fist. And within a second…

He opened his eyes and chucked it as far as he could into the ocean that was in front of them. The ring landed a good twenty yards out into the water. It was to be carried out into the open waters, to be gone forever.

"That ring may have been worth five thousand dollars, but to me it's worth nothing now. The part of my life with Denise is now just a memory." Ash stated.

He looked at the exact same spot where the ring landed. He knew there was no getting it back, but right now, he didn't have a care in the world. He didn't want to live that life anymore. He felt Serena's hand touch his shoulder.

"I'm proud of you Ash. It looks like you have proven you are over her." She stated.

"Yep. I have to stop living in the past and look forward to the future." He added.

"It's good to see it that way." She took her hand off of his shoulder and placed it over her other one in her lap.

"That chapter of my life is done…"

"And it's time I start the next."

Ash reached in his right pocket and took out a small black box and got down on one knee, his right to be exact. Serena noticed this and faced him, her heart now started to race at a thousand miles per hour.

"Serena… I love you to the moon and back. You and I go way back. We have a history together and I want that history to continue. I couldn't think of another girl I want to be next to for the rest of my life. So…"

He opened the box with his left hand. "Serena… Will you marry me?"

Serena felt like she was going to drop dead right then and there. Her heart was now racing at ten thousand miles an hour. Was this really happening? Did her longtime crush just propose to her? The World Champion? It felt like a dream, but it was anything but that. She covered her mouth with both of her hands, hardly being able to restrict a squeal. She had been waiting her whole life for this, and now it was actually happening. She couldn't hold it in any longer.

"YES! YES! A MILLION TIMES YES!" She yelled, wanting the whole world to hear her happiness. She went up to him and hugged him, tears of joy flowing from her eyes and trickling down her scarlet cheeks. After about ten seconds of embracing, she let go of him. He stood up and took the ring out of the box and grabbed her left hand with his and slid the ring onto her finger. She held her hand out and looked at it so she could get a better look at it. It was beautiful. It had three diamonds on it and was about a quarter of an inch thick. He then cuffed both her cheeks with his hands and planted a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. She closed her eyes and let the kiss go on, wrapping her arms around his neck as he continued to kiss her. They didn't even care that they couldn't breathe, they both wanted this to last forever.

After what seemed like about over a minute of kissing, they separated and Serena took another look at her ring.

"Ash, I just can't believe this is happening. Just out of curiosity… When did you get this ring?"

Ash looked deep into her eyes. "I got it about a week after we met up again."

Now that surprised her. He got it a week, A WEEK, after they reunited over eight months back? Was he freaking serious? Serena couldn't believe it.

"A week? But why?" She asked, even more curious.

"Because I knew for sure you were the next one." He answered. "And I know for sure you're the last one."

More and more tears cascaded down her still rose colored cheeks. She wanted to scream in pure joy that the moment she had been dreaming about since she was a little girl had finally became a reality. Ash noticed the tears that were present and took both his hands and wiped them off, only for them to be replaced immediately. He knew she was crying tears of joy, so he decided to let the rest of them flow, thinking she wanted them to be there. He looked at her while she had her eyes closed, tears emitting from there every few seconds, wind softly blowing her short honey blonde hair. Ash thought she looked more beautiful with that going on. He was happy as well that he thought about making her his next wife. That last statement he made was true. She was his second, and most definitely last, wife he would ever have, and he was going to make sure of that.

Serena leaned up and kissed him on the lips once more. She couldn't contain her emotions anymore. She felt like she could kiss him until they both died from a lack of oxygen. As long as she was going to be Ash Ketchum's next wife, she would die a happy woman. He cuffed her cheek again and closed his eyes and kissed her back. They were both extremely ecstatic that they would be getting married, and they didn't want the moment to be ruined. They were going to stand there and savor the moment while it lasted. It was too good to be true.

Man, just wait until the kids, their Pokemon, and everyone else heard about this.

 **Author's note:** Yay! Ash proposed! And Serena said yes! Woo hoo! I bet you guys are just as happy as I am about it. And seeing as there are only two chapters left, we got one big event left, and I'm pretty sure you guys know what it is. Yep, only one thing left… or two. Hehehe! I'm pretty psyched for the last two chapters. What big events lie ahead? Want to know the next one? Well read on and find out in the final preview of the story.

"You look even more handsome than on your first wedding day. I'm so proud of you." Delia commented.

"Thank you, mom. But that isn't necessary." Ash replied.

"It's so hard to believe you're getting married again. But I'm happy nonetheless. I'm especially happy with who you're getting married to." Delia explained. "Are you confident she's the one you'll be with the rest of your life?"

"One hundred ten percent, mom. I've never been so sure of anything in my life." He responded.

"Just go out there and do it, honey. I want nothing more than you to be happy. Serena as well."

"Right back at you, mom."

"I'll leave you alone. I'm pretty sure you need to finish getting yourself prepared. I'll see you in a bit at the ceremony."

And with that, Delia left the room, leaving Ash and Pikachu alone. Ash checked over his bow tie one more time. It was okay now that Cilan had tied it. He looked down at his partner. Pikachu was in a bow tie as well, Cilan having tied it too. He bent down and stroked Pikachu's head.

"This is it buddy. The day has finally come again."

"Pika pi." He said while slightly nodding his head. Within a moment, a couple of Ash's guy friends came into the room, Brock and Gary, both dressed in their tuxes as well.

"Hey man. Hard to believe you're getting married again." Brock stated.

"I know. Yet I'm feeling just as nervous as I was at my first one. If not, more."

"Hey Ash, it's your wedding day. Of course you are going to be nervous. Everyone is at their wedding. I mean, look remember how I was at my wedding with Lucy? Don't feel left out."

"Yeah I know."

"I'm pretty sure Serena is just as nervous as you are. Actually, I think she's more nervous than you are, considering this is her first wedding." Gary stated.

"That's true."

"Hey Ash, we're here for you, every step of the way."

"Thanks Brock." He was happy Brock said those words. One of the reasons he made Brock his best man.

"Okay Ashy boy, we'll get out to the hall. We'll be waiting for you out there. Good luck." Gary said and he and Brock left the room.

Ash knew that Gary and Brock were right. Being nervous at your own wedding was no big deal. He had a feeling Serena was pretty darn nervous as well, especially since she was getting married for the first time. He was looking forward to this. He was getting married for the last time and he knew that.

Time to get the show on the road.

 **Author's note:** All right! The next chapter is the wedding. Oh come on, I couldn't end this story without letting you guys see them tie the knot. I know this is what you guys have been waiting for since the start (Or at least the last few chapters). What will go on during the wedding? What words will they say to each other? Will I finally succeed in getting a job even with no past work experience? You guys will get answers in the following chapter. You have a merry Christmas and I will see you next week when our hero and heroine become one. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **"** **See that home run? Tell your sister about it."**

 **-Richie Goodman, The Benchwarmers**


	14. Shot of Love

**TDBigJ's message:** Hey y'all. How was your Christmas? Mine was great! But I tell you what, I had a hectic Christmas (Not that I'm complaining). Christmas Eve, Christmas day, even the day after Christmas. Saw my Grandma, my nana and papa (grandparents on my dad's side), my cousins and my aunt and uncle, even some family friends. I got a few pretty great gifts, but one of my favorites definitely has to be… Pokemon Moon. Yep, I got Pokemon Moon for Christmas, and let me just tell you, I'm having a FREAKING BLAST playing it. Like I've said before, it's been almost nine years since I last played a Pokemon game of any sort, which was the original FireRed version. I chose the honey blonde boy and named him Liam (Just like my OC on my profile), and I chose Litten as my starter and I've caught two more Pokemon since then. I've spent a good fifty minutes most nights playing it, that's just how awesome it is to me. Other than that, I got another game, for my Xbox, Forza Horizon 3, plus a Gears of War book, and a pair of wireless headphones, just to name a few. And yesterday, I saw the new Star Wars movie, Rogue One. It was a pretty solid movie. I went to see it with my dad. He seemed to like it too. Okay, now regarding the chapter, well how about this? We're already at the second to last chapter. How come we're already here? It seems like this story hasn't even been out that long, but three months already? Holy cow! Time flies doesn't it? This chapter is the wedding of our hero and heroine, now who isn't excited for that? Okay, enough of that. That's got to be like the 782nd question I've asked in just this message. Let's get to the responding of the reviews, which will be the final time for this story.

 **Wolves22 (Guest #1):** I'll think about it, but I already have the final chapter laid out. Hope you had a good Christmas, happy New Year, and thanks for the review!

 **Espeon44:** Thank you! I did! I hope you enjoyed yours. Happy New Year!

 **Brig nodrm2347:** I'm glad you liked how Ash proved he was over Denise. Yeah, thanks for saying it was original, that was how I intended it to be. I don't like to be plain. Yeah, I know, it is sad that this story is coming to an end in a week. It seems that my last three stories have just flown by I swear. Ideas for future stories? To be honest, about a month ago I didn't know where I was headed after this story, but… just in the last couple of weeks (and one of them I thought of on Wednesday), I've thought of a couple of ideas of stories I want to release in the future. I hate to make you wait, but I will reveal these two ideas next week in the final chapter. But believe me, you will like the ideas I have, or one of them at least. Hope you had a good Christmas, happy New Year, and thanks for the review!

 **ManleyTogekiss:** Yeah I guess I did do that. Good to see you're changing your mind about your idea for your story. Hope you had a good Christmas, happy New Year, and thanks for the review!

 **Armorshippingfan:** Glad you liked it! I hope you are looking forward to this chapter. Hope you had a good Christmas, happy New Year, and thanks for the review!

 **Shadic4566:** Good to see that you liked it, or at least surprised you. Pikachu and Buneary? Yeah, I agree the little guy needs love too. Thank you for the Christmas wishes and I hope you had a great one as well. Happy New Year to you too and thanks for the review!

 **Fred the FHRITP Guy:** Good to see you liked it and that you're looking forward to this one. Hope you had a good Christmas, happy New Year, and thanks for the review!

 **TheAztecKing:** I know, a $5,000 ring thrown into the ocean may seem surprising, but that just shows how far Ash was willing to prove to Serena that he was over Denise. Good to see you like his progression over the course of the story. Thanks for the motivation for me becoming a writer. I'm actually working on a few ideas at the moment. Hope you had a good Christmas, happy New Year, and thanks for the review!

 **Guest #2:** Sounds interesting, huh? Glad to see you considered the last chapter a Christmas gift, it did seem like one, didn't it? Hope you had a good Christmas, happy New Year, and thanks for the review!

 **Mad Ass Dragon:** Looks like I did it again! Sweetness overload. I'll never forgive myself for this. Yeah, I know, proposing after five months of dating seems a little soon, but they have known each other most of their lives so I let it slide this time, although I don't think you will. I know, the kids are more mature than most. I hope you had a good Christmas, happy New Year, and thanks for the review!

 **Oliverqueen01:** Yeah, RAW is getting pretty boring to me too. I didn't even watch it this past Monday (only because I wasn't home that night). Smackdown is really entertaining. At least I don't have any refrains before that comes on. Yay! John Cena returned. But where is he? (See that?) Oh boy, I hope AJ drops the title, I'm getting sick of him as well. I like that Master Card-esque monologue you had regarding the proposal, that was pretty clever. About the wedding, it will more likely be simple and beautiful. Yes, you're right. This is the last review reply chapter (As stated above). I would've liked to tell you what the last chapter would be, but I don't want to spoil anything. But what I can tell you is that it's a surprise and (At least in my opinion) a great end to the story. Hope you had a good Christmas, happy New Year, and thanks for the review!

 **Darkaura808:** Good to see you liked the start of the last chapter. I know, it's good to have friends there through the rough times, huh? The proving part was a bit movie cliché? I hate to go down that path but oh well. Good thing you got this review posted in time. I actually was typing the responses when you posted it. Hope you had a good Christmas, happy New Year, and thanks for the review!

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and… whoever else.**

Ash was looking at himself in the mirror, putting the finishing touches on his tuxedo. He was trying to tie his bow tie, which he had trouble doing. He tried to tie it once, failed. He tried to tie it twice, failed. Ash was starting to grow frustrated after what seemed like a dozen attempts.

"Come on. I tied this perfectly at my first wedding. Why can't I tie it now?" Ash exclaimed to himself. But there was someone to save the day. Cilan came up and tied the bow tie for him. After he was done, Ash's tie was in a perfect knot.

"There. That should prevent any further trouble." Cilan stated as he took a step back after finishing.

"Thanks a lot Cilan. I could have guessed you were the one to fix this, considering that you wore a bow tie for most of your childhood.

"You're welcome, Ash, although I still wear bow ties today actually." Cilan stated.

"Oh yeah, that's right."

"So, you ready for your big day?" Cilan asked.

"Yeah, I am. I can't believe this is my second time getting married." Ash responded.

"I know. Hopefully it's your last." Cilan stated.

"I know, right?" Ash said and the two shared a laugh.

"Is Serena doing okay?"

"Yeah, I just checked on her before I came in here. She's getting the final touches on her dress and then she's getting her makeup done." Cilan explained.

"Why does she need to wear makeup? She looks great without it. Better than with even." Ash stated.

"Oh Ash, you know, brides always get their makeup done at their wedding. I'm sure Serena won't mind wearing it once." Cilan explained.

"Yeah, I guess so. I wish I could see her right now, but you know the superstition about seeing the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony." Ash explained.

"Right. But do you really believe that?" Cilan asked.

"I'm not sure if I do or if I don't. I've never encountered it before." He replied. "I never saw Denise in her wedding dress so it didn't happen with us. I've always wanted to know why it's so superstitious."

"It usually means that bad luck will happen throughout your marriage, maybe even divorce will end up occurring." Cilan explained.

"Oh man, then it's a good thing that I won't see her before everything happens." Ash stated.

"Don't worry about it, Ash. Superstition doesn't mean it's true." Cilan said. "Besides, I bet you'll like it even more when you see her walking down the aisle and when you lift the veil off her face."

"You're right, Cilan. I shouldn't focus on things like that. This is our big day, I shouldn't ruin it by thinking bad things could somehow happen." Ash explained.

Cilan patted Ash on the back. "There we go. Now I'm going to go out and meet with the other guys, they want us to prepare for the ceremony. Remember, we're your groomsmen."

"Well, Cilan, all you guys have to do is stand there, put your hands behind your back, and look at the two of us. What's there to practice?" Ash asked.

Cilan stood there, looking dumbfounded. "Oh, good point." All of a sudden, May came into the room as she opened the door, but she just stood in the doorway, holding the knob with her hand.

"Hey Cilan, Serena wants to see you for a moment again." May stated.

"Okay, tell her I will be right there." Cilan responded. "Okay Ash, looks like your bride wants to talk to me. I'll see you a little later, okay?"

"All right, Cilan. See you in a bit." Ash replied and the two fist bumped and Cilan left the room. Ash went back to looking at himself in the mirror. The tie was in perfect shape from when Cilan tied it. He checked over the rest of his appearance. He looked well. Perfect for the wedding. He just wanted to see Serena right now to see how she looked in her wedding dress, but he was willing to wait.

Ash once again thought how hard it was to believe that he was getting married again, more or less to his childhood friend. He would've never thought when he was ten and met up with her again that he would end up one day marrying her. But the more he thought about it, the more he cherished the idea. Maybe the title of "childhood sweethearts" sounded great after all.

Ash couldn't believe how far the two of them had come in their lifetime and the past year and a half. How much they've been through, the hardships, the good times, everything else. The kids were super elated that this was happening, seeing as that they were getting a new mother to be around for them, but they also knew that their father's happiness was important and they wanted him to be happy more than anything else. They didn't want to think of just themselves. Ash looked down at Pikachu and stroked his head. His buddy was looking forward to this as well. He liked seeing his partner tying the knot with his lifelong friend and that it was making him happy. Everyone was ecstatic about this.

But thing was, it was not just their families and friends that were ecstatic about it, the general public was happy about it too. The news had gone viral once the press saw the ring on Serena's finger during one of Ash's press conferences. Ash went back to that moment.

 **Seven months prior**

A few days after Ash's most recent battle against former Sinnoh Champion Cynthia, many people were surprised that Ash had wiped out her entire team with just Pikachu and Talonflame. Even her Garchomp was no match for the two of them. One reporter asked their next question, which was regarding how quickly Pikachu was able to take out Garchomp. Ash explained it in full detail, leaving many reporters surprised.

"Ash, after that long hard fought battle with Cynthia, who's your next challenger?" One reporter asked.

"Not so sure yet. I get them periodically. But whoever is willing to take me on I'd be more than happy to take their offer." Ash replied.

"Ash, how often did you train your Pokemon before this battle?"

"About forty five minutes every day. Got to give them an adequate amount to prepare." He replied.

"Ash, you don't have to answer this if you want to. How has been your personal life been going?" One reporter, a woman, asked.

"I've been having a good time taking time off with my kids, and relationship wise, I think I'm ready." Ash responded.

"How so?"

Ash tapped Serena's shoulder. "Show them, babe."

Serena held her hand up, showing the ring on her left ring finger. This left many reporters shocked, eyes widening as they saw it. They knew that Ash had divorced his first wife, but a year and a half later he was already engaged to another woman? They never saw that one coming.

"Mr. Ketchum, wow, I'm surprised. It's good to see you getting married again. How long ago did you propose?" One reporter asked.

"About a month ago." He replied and then looked into Serena's eyes. "Her name is Serena… and we've known each other since we were six or seven years old… and I'm glad to one day call her my wife."

A lot of "aw" emitted from the reporters, some even placing their hands over their hearts. They never expected to come into this press conference today hearing this.

 **End of flashback**

Yep. It certainly had been an interesting year and a half plus for the two of them, plus the kids of course. Everyone was happy for them, especially Ash's mom. She was the happiest out of all of their family and friends (Well, maybe except for Bonnie). Suddenly, the door to the room opened. And speaking of which, guess who just entered the room? Delia. She walked up to her son, beaming on the fact that her son was all dressed up in his tux and getting married again.

"You look even more handsome than on your first wedding day. I'm so proud of you." Delia commented.

"Thank you, mom. But that isn't necessary." Ash replied.

"It's so hard to believe you're getting married again. But I'm happy nonetheless. I'm especially happy with who you're getting married to." Delia explained. "Are you confident she's the one you'll be with the rest of your life?"

"One hundred ten percent, mom. I've never been so sure of anything in my life." He responded.

"Just go out there and do it, honey. I want nothing more than you to be happy. Serena as well."

"Right back at you, mom."

"I'll leave you alone. I'm pretty sure you need to finish getting yourself prepared. I'll see you in a bit at the ceremony."

And with that, Delia left the room, leaving Ash and Pikachu alone. Ash checked over his bow tie one more time. It was okay now that Cilan had tied it. He looked down at his partner. Pikachu was in a bow tie as well, Cilan having tied it too. He bent down and stroked Pikachu's head.

"This is it buddy. The day has finally come again."

"Pika pi." He said while slightly nodding his head. Within a moment, a couple of Ash's guy friends came into the room, Brock and Gary, both dressed in their tuxes as well.

"Hey man. Hard to believe you're getting married again." Brock stated.

"I know. Yet I'm feeling just as nervous as I was at my first one. If not, more."

"Hey Ash, it's your wedding day. Of course you are going to be nervous. Everyone is at their wedding. I mean, look remember how I was at my wedding with Lucy? Don't feel left out."

"Yeah I know."

"I'm pretty sure Serena is just as nervous as you are. Actually, I think she's more nervous than you are, considering this is her first wedding." Gary stated.

"That's true."

"Hey Ash, we're here for you, every step of the way."

"Thanks Brock." He was happy Brock said those words. One of the reasons he made Brock his best man.

"Okay Ashy boy, we'll get out to the hall. We'll be waiting for you out there. Good luck." Gary said and he and Brock left the room.

Ash knew that Gary and Brock were right. Being nervous at your own wedding was no big deal. He had a feeling Serena was pretty darn nervous as well, especially since she was getting married for the first time. He was looking forward to this. He was getting married for the last time and he knew that.

Time to get the show on the road.

 **One hour later**

It was time for the ceremony, and all the guests had sat down in a pew, waiting to see the two become one. Everybody that they knew was there. Cilan, Delia, May, Brock, and Gary we all knew are there, but the likes of Misty, Max, Norman, Caroline, Dawn, Joanna, Iris, Clemont, Bonnie, Meyer, Ritchie, Morrison, Barry, Stephan, Cameron, Chili, Cress, Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, and Grace were there. Brock was Ash's best man, while Bonnie was Serena's maid of honor. The rest of Ash's groomsmen consisted besides Gary, Brock, and Cilan were Clemont, Max, and Stephan. Serena's bridesmaids besides Bonnie were: Shauna, Misty, Iris, Dawn, and May. All the groomsmen were dressed in tuxes, while all the bridesmaids were dressed in maroon gowns, each bridesmaid holding a bouquet of course.

Once everyone was seated, the hall grew quiet. The band started playing as the groomsmen and bridesmaids came in by pairs. None of them were specifically together in a relationship (Besides Max and Bonnie), but did that really matter? Ash and Serena's relationship was the only one that mattered today.

To start off, Bellamy, who was the flower girl, started walking down the aisle, lightly tossing rose petals as she slowly walked along the aisle. Now the groomsmen and bridesmaids started making their way down the aisle. The first pair that came in were Max and Bonnie, who took their spots on the steps. The next that followed were Brock and May, Gary and Misty, Clemont and Shauna, Stephan and Dawn, and Cilan and Iris.

Now, Delia and Ash appeared. Delia walked her son down the aisle, all the while people giving Ash congratulations as he slowly walked up to the minister. Ash got up to the top step and took his place. Brock patted him on the back.

"Good for you, Ash. Remember, don't feel bad if you're nervous."

"Gotcha, man."

Then, the organ started playing the usual tune of the bride walking down the aisle. That's when the nervousness in Ash started to spike, but he did his best to keep his cool and not show it, which he usually did well at.

But then he saw her…

At the end of the aisle way came Serena and her mother. Her mother had to walk her down the aisle because just like Ash, she didn't have a father around. He looked at her. Her face was concealed by the veil so he couldn't have a distinct look at her but the dress she was wearing… Ash thought she looked breathtaking, or as Mr. Sukizo said it, "remarkable". Her dress was white with a hint of eggshell, her sleeves were long and very loose around her wrists and the top of her dress curved around her neck, and had diamonds around the neckline. To Ash, words literally weren't enough to describe how beautiful she looked. He looked at Bellamy sitting with his mom in the front row. Her excitement was clearly visible as she was fidgeting around in her seat. Tristan wasn't there yet, as he was the ring bearer and would come out in a few minutes.

He watched her slowly stroll down the aisle, holding the bouquet in her hands, holding her head a little low, him barely being able to see the features of her face. He was going to find out in a second, so it's not like it was going to be an eternity before he saw her.

Gary leaned up and put his hand on Ash's right shoulder. "Think she looks great, Ashy boy?" He whispered.

"Way more than that." Ash replied, also in a whisper.

She slowly continued to walk down. But within a few moments, which to Ash felt like forever, she finally got in front of him, and the organist stopped playing.

Ash took a deep breath and lifted up the veil to reveal Serena's delicate face. Ash didn't want to say it, but she knew he thought she looked beautiful. Ash noticed she wasn't wearing makeup like Cilan said she would be wearing, but she still looked gorgeous nonetheless, so he didn't care.

Five minutes later into the ceremony, the minister finally got to the part where the two of them would recite their vows.

"Now, the bride and groom have written their vows and will now tell them to one another."

Serena, being the bride, went first. "Back when you helped me in the forest at Summer Camp a long time ago, I had a feeling that you and me would end up together one day. You have always had a special place in my heart since that day. Day in and day out, you've made me laugh, you made me cry, you comforted me when I needed it most, and you made the bad times good." A few tears escaped as she continued. "My life would have never been the same now if you weren't in it. The day we met is the day life changed for me and I started seeing things differently. And now seeing that I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you, I now know we've changed history, and I'm ready for what we have planned for the future."

Now it was Ash's turn. "Serena, from the day we met, I thought we were going to be great friends for life. But little did I know that we were going to be much more someday, and today proves that. When I was a kid, I most likely would have never been keen on the idea of romance, but I'm glad I changed. You are the one that opened up the door for me to get out there again, and I'm glad you helped me out. But after many, many years of being just friends, we became boyfriend and girlfriend, then engaged, and now… we're husband and wife. I'm glad my eyes finally opened to see that you were the one that was always there for me and always will be. I will say this… You could do a thousand times better than me… but I could never do a thousand times better than you."

Now Serena was very touched by that last line. Although to her, it was the other way around. It's like to him, she was the only that should've been truly with him all along.

"Okay, if there anyone that believes that these two should not be married, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace." The minister started. And since no one said anything, here came the golden words.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Ash grabbed Serena's cheeks and leaned in and kissed her, much applause coming from the crowd. When Ash released from the kiss, the two held hands and walked halfway down the aisle. They stopped and Serena did the tradition of covering her eyes and tossing her bouquet behind her for one of the bridesmaids to catch. The fortunate one to catch it was Dawn, who as soon as she caught it, looked at Kenny who was sitting near the end of the front row of the right. Ash and Serena then continued and exited the room.

Later, everyone gathered into the hall were the reception was to be held. All the groomsmen, bridesmaids, family and friends, and the remaining guests had already made it into the room and had sat themselves down, waiting for the bride and groom to enter. It had been twenty minutes since the last of the people arrived, and everyone was eager to see the newlyweds.

"When are they going to show up, Grandma?" Bellamy asked.

"They'll be here soon, sweetie. Just be a little more patient." Delia replied. "While you wait, why don't you take some time to get to know your other Grandma?" She suggested.

"Who?"

"She's sitting right next to me, silly." Delia responded with a chuckle. Tristan and Bellamy took a look at Grace.

"How is she my other Grandma?" Bellamy asked with some confusion.

Grace replied with a chuckle of her own. "I'm Serena's mother. Since she's now your stepmother, I'm basically one of your Grandma's now."

Bellamy got the message. "Oh, I see." Then she thrust herself forward and gave Grace a big hug, with Tristan following suit.

Grace then laughed, hugging the two of them back. "Well, looks like they're happy." She stated, giggling a little. "Looks like I've got a couple of grandkids to spoil now."

Delia replied with a laugh. "Good. That lightens the workload." The two then laughed together.

A moment later, our recently bonded couple entered the room. Tristan shot up from his seat and pointed at them. "Look! They're here!"

Everyone noticed and stood up and clapped. Ash and Serena waved to everybody.

Ash leaned over to Serena's ear. "Now comes the hard part."

"I know. But it'll be worth it."

Ash then thought of something. "Hey, I thought that I heard that you were going to wear makeup today. What changed?"

"Cilan told me you said I looked better without it, so I decided not to worry about it." Serena replied. "And thank you for that."

"You're welcome."

Tristan and Bellamy got up from their seats and rushed over to their father and new mother. Bellamy collapsed into Ash while Tristan collapsed into Serena, hugging their legs as soon as they made contact. Ash and Serena bent down and hugged the kid that was gripping their legs. After that, the kids switched, Ash and Serena doing the same.

Twenty minutes later, Ash and Serena were still greeting each guest. They did their friends and family first (Obviously). They just got congratulations from May and Dawn. The next ones that came up were Clemont and Bonnie. Bonnie, of all people, was enamored that her two former travelling companions had gotten married, something that she knew was going to happen back then and now.

"Well, well, well, looks like these two have finally tied the knot. I'm so happy for you guys! Congratulations!" Bonnie exclaimed and pulled the two into a hug. The two hugged her back. Of course Bonnie was the one most excited for them to become married. They should've seen this coming.

"I had a feeling." Serena said as Bonnie continued to hug her and Ash. Once Bonnie released from the hug, she had a choice question for Serena.

"So Serena, how does it feel to be Serena Ketchum now?"

"Well Bonnie, words can barely describe how ecstatic I am. I know you knew I was waiting for this day to come since we were travelling together when we were young." Serena explained.

"I wish I knew back then that you liked Ash more than a friend." Clemont stated.

"That's because you were just as dense as Ash was, brother." Bonnie remarked. Serena and Ash laughed at it with Bonnie joining in a second later. Clemont couldn't help but join in and laughed as well. He was more than willing to laugh at himself.

"Ash, how do you feel now that you're married to Serena?" Bonnie asked.

"Bonnie, to be honest, as a kid I would have never thought of marrying Serena. I admit I was pretty dense back then and like Clemont said, I wish I knew that she had a crush on me at that time. But that was the past and this is now and that is all that matters. And I couldn't have asked for a better partner to grow old and die with." Ash explained. Serena was touched by those words and planted a quick peck on Ash's lips. Ash did really mean that. Remember, he's not a moron when it came to romance anymore. After Clemont and Bonnie went to do something else, Ash and Serena's mothers came up and hugged them.

"Honey, I'm so proud of you. I'm glad you found happiness again." Delia commented.

"Thanks mom." Ash replied.

"Serena, I'm so happy you finally found someone, and Ash of all people." Grace stated.

"Thanks mom." Serena replied.

Delia and Grace switched and gave their congratulations to each other's kids. They then separated from the hugs.

"So, what's next for you guys?" Delia asked. Ash and Serena looked at each other.

"You know, we haven't really thought of anything yet." Ash responded.

"Oh and Serena, while I'm here, I thought I'd tell you something." Grace stated.

"Yeah, mom, what is it?"

Grace took a deep breath before responding. "Seeing as how you're now moving on with your life, now that you're married and going to be a mother, I was just thinking… That I want to be here not only for you, but for Ash and the kids." She explained. "I was thinking about moving back here to Kanto to be closer to you all."

Ash, Serena, and Delia all gasped. "Mom, are you sure?" Serena asked.

"It was something that I have been thinking about for a while. When you and Ash got engaged, it came to my mind that I didn't want to be far away from everything and everybody I cared about and my soon to be family, so I want to come back." Grace further explained.

Serena definitely took this as a surprise. She never knew her mom had been thinking this over for so long. She had talked to her mom numerous times since her and Ash got engaged but she never brought this up. Maybe she wanted to wait until the wedding to tell her. But you know what? She liked the idea and went up and hugged her mom.

"I would be more than happy for you to move back here mom." Serena replied.

Grace returned the hug. "Thank you, honey. I will make some plans. Oh, and Ash?"

"Yeah?"

"Welcome to the family. I'm happy to call you my son-in-law."

Ash smiled. "Thanks Grace."

Ten minutes later, everyone took their seats, as it was time for the best man and the maid of honor to make their speeches. Brock was the first to go. He stood up and grabbed his glass of champagne.

"Ash, I just wanted to start off by saying, that while most of everybody in this room might not know it, I consider you my best friend. Just like you and Serena, you and I have a history, although not as important as your guys'. I remember back when we had our gym battle together when we first met. You may have never officially beaten me in our two gym battles, but I certainly learned a lot from travelling with you in four regions. I can say that you have definitely surpassed me as a trainer in basically every way and I'm willing to admit it. I'm thankful for you teaching me everything as we travelled."

"And Serena, in the time that I've known you, you seem like a very sweet girl, and Ash is one lucky guy. I like how you've always put others before yourself like Ash always does, you don't lose your temper too often, and you made Ash's kids Tristan and Bellamy basically see you as a suitor for him. I've known like them that you were the right one for Ash from the start, and I'm glad that you're now going to be by his side for the rest of his life." He raised his glass. "To the bride and groom."

"To the bride and groom." Replied everyone in the room.

Now it was time for Bonnie to make her speech. She stood up from her seat and took her glass of champagne like Brock did. "Ash, you certainly are not just the most phenomenal World Champion I've ever seen, you are one of the most phenomenal people I've ever met. You work hard for your Pokemon, your kids, and it now looks like you're going to work hard for Serena. I'm glad you finally saw the light of day and married her."

"Serena, just like Ash, you are one of the most phenomenal people I've ever met. You are possibly the most considerate person I know and you would go the farthest reaches of space to do things for those you care about. You made one hell of a performer back in the day and if you still did it today, I'm pretty sure you would be Kalos Queen. But you're still a wonderful person and I'm happy you said yes to him. Now, I don't want to brag, but I've known longer than anybody that these two would end up married someday, and I'm happy that they finally are." Bonnie raised her glass. "To the bride and groom."

"To the bride and groom." Everyone else in the room said.

Fifteen minutes passed, and the DJ spoke through the microphone. "Okay, now everyone gather around. It's time for the bride and groom to have their first dance as a couple."

Ash and Serena took cue and got up from their seats, hand in hand and walked up to the dance floor, slowly walking past everybody as they walked up. They let go of each other's hands and walked to each side of the crowd. The DJ took this as a go to play the song that Ash and Serena chose to dance to. He started playing the song, which was Phil Collins' "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven."

Ash and Serena slowly walked towards each other, with each of their right arms and hands outstretched. Within a few seconds, they joined hands once again and Ash pulled Serena in close, and they started swaying to the music.

Ash leaned his head close to hers and the two had a deep passionate kiss for about a few seconds. "I love you, Serena Ketchum." He whispered so only she could hear.

"And I love you too, Ash Ketchum."

And with that, Serena laid her head down on Ash's chest and placed her right hand on Ash's left shoulder. The two continued to sway to the music with everyone watching on. It was truly a sight to behold. Our hero and heroine had finally become unified, and it was going to last until they each gave their last breath.

They were ready for whatever the future threw at them, and they would do it together, as one.

 **Author's note:** YAY! WHOO! YEAH! NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! I know I'm getting crazy in front of you guys, but I don't care this time. Now that was a happy moment, and more or less a happy ending. But alas, this isn't the ending, the next chapter is, and since the next chapter is the final chapter, there won't be a preview this time around. That song Ash and Serena danced to is a song I think had good lyrics regarding a relationship and I thought it would fit perfectly for the two of them as for what happened to them throughout the story. It was sung by Phil Collins as I already stated. And a fun fact: The name of another one of Phil Collins' songs also inspired the name of this story. Well, that should do it. I will see you next week when this all closes out. I'm glad you guys have been here for the ride. I'll see you all in the finale. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **"** **I'm one with the force, the force is with me."**

 **-Star Wars: Rogue One**


	15. Back in Business

**TDBigJ's message:** *Sad sigh* Man, it's hard to believe this story is already coming to an end. How in the hell does three months pass by like that? I don't know but it did and this story is in it's final legs. But I'm thankful for how this story went and the reception it got from all of you guys. Thank you all so much but I will leave some of you my personal thoughts of thanks after this chapter is over. In the last week, I've been having a lot more fun playing Pokemon Moon. I've caught two more Pokemon to add to my roster. I've caught a Wingull (Don't know why the hell I caught one of those, but it's an addition I'll be fine with) and a Growlithe (One of my favorite Pokemon) to add to my team that already contains a Pikipek (Which just last night evolved into a Trumbeak) and my starter Litten (Which just recently evolved into a Torracat). It's an awesome game and I've completed one of the seven island trials, which was Captain Ilima's. Pretty darn easy if I say so myself. But now, let's focus on the story. When we ended last chapter, Ash and Serena got married much to the joy of their families and friends and had their first dance together. This chapter will reveal what has happened since the wedding and what they are up to now. Let me just tell you, a BIG surprise is in store this chapter. With that, let's get to the chapter. Since this is the final chapter, I won't be responding to reviews. So let's wrap this up.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's characters, they are owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and… whoever else.**

 **One Year Later**

Ash was in the kitchen, waiting for something to finish. Who knew it took this long for it to finish? It had been going for about a minute but still with thirty seconds left. He had constantly did this twice in the past but you couldn't say third time's the charm, but giving what it was for, it was perfectly fine with him.

It had been one year since he and Serena had tied the knot, and everything was not good, not great, but perfect for them. They were both now 28. Serena was eternally happy over the last twelve months, and Ash was beyond grateful that he had married the one person who had been there for him through the thick and thin since his childhood, and even during the sixteen years they were apart. Tristan and Bellamy were now five and six respectively and were gleaming with happiness that they now had another mother figure in their life, and their lives for the past year had been the best for them, no doubt.

Finally it had finished and Ash took it out and shook it, placing his hand over the top and giving it a good shake. He walked over to Serena, who was sitting on the couch, looking out the large window at the bright orange morning sky. Tristan and Bellamy came rushing down the stairs, sounds of their feet on the granite tile of the stairs pounding throughout the room.

"Daddy… daddy… where is-" Bellamy shouted before Ash put a finger up to his lips.

"Sshh. Quiet." Ash said silently. Tristan and Bellamy instantly quieted down, knowing who was in the room. Ash continued walking over to the couch. As soon as he got to the side, he looked at Serena…

And the little bundle of joy she was holding in her lap.

Yeah it's true. Just a couple of weeks ago, Ash and Serena welcomed the newest addition to the family: Their son Julian Ashton Ketchum. The little guy was sound asleep in Serena's lap as she held him with her left arm.

"Is he still sleeping?" He asked.

"Yeah." She replied.

They both loved the name that they gave their newborn son. Ash came up with the name Julian because you don't hear that name a lot these days and he wanted to name him something original. When it came to his middle name, Ash didn't want to give him a name that was almost similar to his, but Serena liked the idea of giving him the name Ashton because she wanted at least one part of his name like Ash's because she thought he was remarkable, just like his dad, so Ash thought that was okay and it became official.

"He's so cute! I can't believe this is my brother." Bellamy whispered, looking at Julian.

"Well technically, he's your half brother." Ash replied, keeping his voice low.

"What do you mean "half"?" Tristan asked.

"A half sibling basically means… Well let me put it this way. In this case he has the same father as you, but different mother. The same applies the other way around." Ash explained.

"Okay, I think I get it." Tristan responded.

Over the last couple of weeks, Tristan and Bellamy had gotten very accustomed to having another sibling to be around with. It wasn't something they had expected to happen when his dad and Serena got married, but it was something they were happy with, and they grew fond of the little guy.

A few months after Ash and Serena got married, Serena got pregnant with Julian and broke it too the kids, their mother's, and all their friends. Everyone was ecstatic at the news, and were happy for the two of them that they had planned to expand their family. But Ash and Serena both remembered the day that the topic of having a kid came up. It was during their honeymoon.

 **Flashback, almost one year prior**

Ash and Serena had returned from sightseeing on their tenth day of their honeymoon. Once they entered their room, Serena fell down on the bed while Ash fetched them a couple of glasses of wine.

"Man, I'm bushed." Serena commented, spread eagled on the bed, with her eyes closed.

"Me too. I'm calling it a day." Ash said as he took a bottle of wine out of the refrigerator, opened it, and poured some into two wine glasses he had just taken out.

"What do you think we should do tomorrow? We've still got four more days of our honeymoon left." Serena asked.

"I'm pretty sure we will think of something between now and then, it's only six right now and we've got time before we go to bed." Ash replied. "Seeing as how we've been here for almost two weeks, I wonder how the kids are doing."

Serena was wondering the same thing, the kids had been on her mind basically every day of this trip. But there was one other thing, the word "kids" brought something to her mind, and it was something that was a little too early to think in a marriage. Ash handed her a glass of wine and took a drink of his own.

"Hey Ash?"

"Mmhm?" He replied, still sipping his wine.

"I know we just got married and it might be a little early to think this, but… do you think we will ever… expand our family? You know, having a kid?"

It was at that moment that Ash spit out some of the wine that was in his mouth, spraying a mist and a little bit of it landing on Serena's face.

"Whoa… um… well… why would you bring that up?" He asked, swallowing whatever wine was in his mouth and wiping his lips off with the back of his hand.

"Over the last few days, I was thinking that you already had two kids with your ex-wife. But I was wondering… if you and I will ever decide on having one together." She explained.

"Gee… um… well… I…" Ash couldn't find the right words to say. He never expected her to ask a question like that this early in their marriage, but he had a feeling she was going to ask it sometime.

"It's okay if you don't. I'll understand." She added.

"Serena, it's just… I didn't think we would talk about it until at least a few months after we got married." He stated. "But… I wouldn't mind it."

"Just one Ash. I know you already have your hands full with Tristan and Bellamy, but… I want us to have at least one kid together. Three kids, that's it. After that, we will be done. Is that okay?" Serena explained.

Ash sighed before answering. "You know what, yeah, that would be great. To be honest, I thought that if I ever got married again I would want to have at least one more kid. So, I would like to have another kid someday, but let's leave that for a later date."

Serena smiled. "Oh, thank you so much! I would be delighted to have another kid in my life. But are you one hundred percent sure?"

"Completely."

"All right then, it's a plan."

 **End of flashback**

And now look! They have a kid now, just one year later. Neither of them could be more happy. The little guy that had been brought into this world just two weeks ago was a treasure to them. When Serena got pregnant a while back, Ash had wanted a girl, but Serena wanted a boy. Guess who got their wish?

"He's a good looking baby isn't he?" Serena asked, looking at Ash while feeding Julian, who had just woken up.

"Just as good as Tristan did when he was born." He replied. Tristan took this as a compliment, seeing as his dad said he was a good looking baby when he was one. Now, he wondered how good he would look as an adult.

"Ash…"

"Yeah?"

"You and me… leading up to this moment. All we've been through… back then and now."

The two of them looked at Julian. It was true. Twenty plus years of history led up to this moment. They started as friends at a summer camp… then as travelling companions in Kalos… then friends as adults… then in a relationship… and now married with a kid. They continued looking at their newborn son, now starting to reflect back on what has gone on between them since the day they first met.

 **Flashback-Summer Camp**

 _"_ _It still hurts, I can't stand up!"_

 _"_ _Never give up until it's over. Okay? Come on." Ash stated as he held out her hand. She grabbed his hand and he heaved her up, the two embracing each other for the first time._

 **And then the time they met up again**

 **Flashback-First meeting in Kalos**

 _Ash bends down, struggling in his battle against Viola. He looks down as he tries to come up with a strategy. Serena comes up to him, bends down, and hands him his handkerchief. Ash sees her, smiles and takes it from her. Serena stands back up, then looks to her left, then asks the daring question._

 _"_ _Ash, do you… remember me?"_

 **And came the first compliment**

 **Flashback-Morning after first showcase**

 _Serena came back to the group after being gone all night, showing off her new look. Clemont and Bonnie were beyond shocked, but Ash had other words to express._

 _"_ _I think it looks kind of cute." Serena commented._

 _"_ _Yeah, I think so too." Ash responded._

 _"_ _Aw, thank you Ash!" Serena replied, glad to hear those words from her crush._

 _"_ _Wait is that-" Ash started, pointing at the ribbon on top of Serena's shirt._

 _"_ _Yeah. It's the present you gave me." Serena added._

 _"_ _You're wearing it. It looks great!" Ash complimented._

 _"_ _Pikachu!" The yellow mouse added. Serena blushing at Ash's kind words_

 **And then came another compliment**

 **Flashback-Serena's first showcase victory**

 _"_ _I'm sorry I tore the outfit Valerie gave me. I guess I'll have to tell her how sorry I am."_

 _"_ _You know, it really looked great on you." Ash complimented._

 _Serena gasped, blushing at the compliment. "Oh, thank you Ash!"_

 **And then their first fight**

 **Flashback-Snowbelle City forest**

 _Serena chucked a couple of snowballs at Ash, after stating how good of a leader he is and that he never gives up until the very end._

 _"_ _You're not acting like the Ash I know." She yelled, the two snowballs hitting Ash and knocking him over, making him trip over the log and landed with a hard smack onto the snow._

 _"_ _Give me back the real Ash! Cause you sure aren't him!" She added, yelling again with a whine present in her voice, on the brink of tears. She turns around and runs away, starting to cry. Ash looks up, not necessarily at the sky, hearing what Serena just said._

 _"_ _Real Ash? Whoa." He said, and then realized how stupid he had been acting. "AW MAN!"_

 **And then came the first time they met up… as adults**

 **Flashback-First meet up in sixteen years**

 _Serena put her phone back in her pocket but as soon as she tucked it away, she bumped into someone and fell to the ground. She felt a hard but quick pain as she landed._

 _"_ _I'm so sorry." She said to the person._

 _"_ _It's quite all right." The voice, sounding like it belonged to a male as they got up. "Here, let me help you up." He said, reaching his hand out. Serena grabbed it and the man pulled her up._

 _"_ _Thank you so much." She thanked. She looked up after she had picked up what she dropped. But she then had a surprised expression after she saw who it was._

 _"_ _Ash?"_

 _"_ _Serena?"_

 _The two then hugged, and it sure was a long one. Since they hadn't seen each other in sixteen years, it was long overdue. They separated when the hug lasted longer than thirty seconds and people started to stare at them._

 _"_ _Oh my gosh, it's so great to see you. It's been too long." Ash commented._

 _"_ _Yeah, I know. Sixteen years?" Serena asked._

 _"_ _Yeah, but who's counting?"_

 **And then their first vacation together**

 **Flashback-Orange Islands vacation**

 _The four of them then walked inside the stadium. Surprisingly is was still well maintained. To the kids and Serena, it was a great looking stadium, to Ash, it looked like it hadn't changed a bit in the last decade and a half._

 _"_ _Did you make some good memories here dad?" Tristan asked._

 _Ash bent down and put his arms around his kids. "I sure did Tristan. I sure did."_

 _"_ _Do you think you could battle here again one day for us?" Bellamy asked._

 _"_ _I could do that. After all you kids love seeing me do it." He responded._

 _Tristan and Bellamy turned around and hugged Ash, who returned the hug. Suddenly, they heard a camera shutter. They all looked and saw that Serena had taken it with her camera._

 _"_ _One for the memory books." She said._

 **And then their first dance together**

 **Flashback-Ball**

 _As the two of them danced, Serena realized that Ash wasn't really making a mistake. That was odd. When they were young, Ash had always been an unbalanced dancer. The guy had cinderblocks for feet it seemed like, but tonight, Ash had been flawless in his dancing. He must have improved over the years._

 _"_ _Wow Ash, I've never seen you seen you dance this well. What changed?"_

 _"_ _Before Denise and I got married, I told her that I was a sloppy dancer, couldn't carry a move, so we took lessons every so often so I could better myself. When our wedding came around, I never once stumbled. I felt pretty good about myself for improving." Ash explained._

 _"_ _Well, I'm proud of you Ash. You don't have a pair of left feet anymore." The two of them shared a laugh._

 _"_ _Believe me, I even surprised myself."_

 **And then when they started dating**

 **Flashback-Ash makes a bold move**

 _"_ _Hey Serena, can I talk to you for a sec?"_

 _"_ _Oh, sure Ash."_

 _The two of them went over and sat down on the couch._

 _"_ _So, what do you want to talk about?" She asked him._

 _"_ _I just wanted to ask you something, and it's really important. Just promise to hear me out, okay?"_

 _"_ _Okay, I'm listening."_

 _"_ _It's been a little over two months since I met up with you again, and it means a lot to me that you come over often and see me and my kids." Serena was wondering where Ash was going with this._

 _"_ _And… I was happy to see my childhood friend once again, but as of late, I've just been feeling… different. My mind had been going through something that I haven't felt in a while. And there was something that I feel like I'm ready to ask again, but I'm not sure how you would feel about it." He continued._

 _Serena was beginning to get hints of where Ash was heading towards. She was hoping that it really was it, but she didn't want to get too confident that it was it, so she let him continue._

 _"_ _Go on."_

 _"_ _The one thing I'm feeling different towards… is you. When I first met you again, I didn't feel it, but within the last few weeks, something's changed, but I feel like now is a good time to ask. You can say no if you want, I'll understand."_

 _"_ _What is it, Ash?"_

 _Ash took a deep breath. "Would you like… to go out sometime?" And now Ash was feeling nervous. It wasn't like him on most occasions, but this was a rare instance._

 _Serena couldn't speak. Did she really hear what she just heard? Her crush had just asked her out… on a date. She had to blink a few times to confirm that it wasn't a dream. Nope, it wasn't, it was reality._

 _"_ _Are… you asking me out… on a date?" She asked._

 _"_ _Well… yeah. So… do you want to?"_

 _Serena had been waiting for this moment to happen for nearly two decades. Her crush, her CRUSH just asked her out. She always thought it would be the other way around, but this way, it felt better somehow. She just couldn't believe it. She now felt like pinching herself. But if she blinked a few times and he was still in front of her, it was no dream, no matter how hard she tried._

 _"_ _Ash… by all means yes." She replied._

 **And then when they told everyone they were dating**

 **Flashback-Breaking the news to Delia**

 _"_ _Well, mom, there is another reason I came here. There was something I wanted to tell you." He started._

 _"_ _Okay, I'm listening."_

 _"_ _I hope you don't think it's too early…"_

 _"_ _What do you mean?"_

 _"_ _Mom, about a month and a half ago… Serena and I started dating."_

 _And right when that was said, it sent a shock up Delia's spine, but left her motionless. Now that was something she wasn't expecting. She knew that her son was dating again, but more or less his childhood friend. She didn't know how to react, so she just simply got up from her seat and went started walking away, towards the stairs._

 _"_ _Excuse me, I… uh… I need to… um… go… think… for a moment." She said and started walking up the stairs. This left Ash and Serena both confused. Now they were a little worried. Was this too much for her? Was it too early? Was it a little late for her liking? What made her react this way?_

 _"_ _This must be pretty big news to your mom." Serena stated. "From what I saw just now, I'm not sure if it's good or bad."_

 _Ash sighed. "I'll go talk to her."_

 _Serena didn't try to stop him. She knew Ash wanted to talk to his mom about dating again, and thought it was the best option for him to talk to her first. Ash got up from his seat and went up the stairs to his mom's room. She had apparently shut the door, so he gave it a few light knocks._

 _"_ _Mom… you okay?" He said from outside the door. She didn't respond right away, but after about twenty seconds of silence, he heard her speak up._

 _"_ _You can come on in honey. I'm fine." Delia responded. Ash turned the knob and walked inside and sat down next to her on her bed._

 _"_ _I'm sorry mom. I didn't think that news might have be a little too much for you." Ash stated, concerned for her._

 _"_ _It wasn't too much honey. I'm happy that you're dating again. It's just… I'm a little surprised that it's Serena." She replied._

 _"_ _Why are you surprised it's her?" He asked._

 _"_ _The reason is because you and Serena have a history. You two have known each other since you were six or seven, so seeing as you two are now in a relationship is kind of… it's kind of sweet to see something like that." Delia explained._

 _"_ _Sweet how?"_

 _"_ _Just imagine that you two have known each other since you were little and now are dating each other, it's like… you're childhood sweethearts. And I like that idea." Delia stated._

 _"_ _You do, huh?"_

 _"_ _One hundred percent honey."_

 _Now that was something Ash had never heard before: "Childhood sweethearts." The idea of that concept was new to him. He never thought he would hear it, especially if it was about him and his relationship._

 _"_ _Ash…"_

 _"_ _Yeah mom?"_

 _"_ _I know it may be early in your relationship with her, but I already think that she would be perfect as your next wife."_

 _Ash raised his eyebrows. "Really? How?"_

 _Delia chuckled. "What can I say that I haven't said already?"_

 **And then came the hard times**

 **Flashback-Ash's big mistake**

 _"_ _Ash, are you okay with what she said?" She asked him._

 _Ash took a moment to respond. "Yeah. But… it's… just…"_

 _"_ _Just what?"_

 _Ash sighed deeply, getting ready to say something that he knew would bite him in the butt at a later time._

 _"_ _I feel… as if… I still have feelings for her." He finished._

 _This line surprised Serena, and the kids a little bit as well. This wasn't something any of them were expecting. The kids didn't think their dad would say something like that… And Serena didn't either. Serena thought something over for a second and then decided to speak up._

 _"_ _Ash, come with me for a second." She said and walked behind a corner of the building so they could talk in private. Once they saw that they were alone, Serena went ahead with what she was going to say._

 _"_ _Ash, what do you mean you still have feelings for her?" She asked._

 _Ash felt Butterfrees in his stomach. This was going to be hard to explain, but he had to. "It's just that… seeing her for the first time since we've been divorced has put second thoughts in my head. It's not something I'm comfortable with, but it's just… I don't know." He said, not really being able to think of anything else to say. Now it was time for Serena to get her point across._

 _"_ _Look Ash, listen to me…" She started, her tone now dead serious, which was not something she did a lot. Ash noticed it, and it was something he hadn't seen her do since that time when they were in the Snowbelle City forest when they were younger._

 _"_ _I'm not the one to usually complain about my man still having feelings for his ex, but I'm nowhere near okay with hearing you say that. It hurts me actually." She explained._

 _"_ _Plus, I know you two can still be friends, and I'm okay with that. But if you still have feelings for her in some way, not to sound selfish or anything, but I don't know what that means for me." She explained some more. Ash was hit hard by these words. He knew she was right, but what could he do?_

 _"_ _Look I'm sorry you feel that way, but it's a thought that popped up in my head. I didn't think before I said that." Ash stated._

 _Serena covered her eyes with her right hand for a brief moment before continuing. "Ash if you still have feelings for your ex-wife… then… I don't know if we can have a future together." She then thought of one last thing to say. "If you want to stay with me, then I want you to prove you're over Denise." She started walking away but stopped a few seconds later. "I'll see you guys later. I'll be heading home." She then walked away, out of sight, tears welling up in her eyes. Tristan and Bellamy came up to Ash, who was holding his head down in shame._

 _"_ _Daddy, why is Serena leaving?" Bellamy asked._

 _Ash closed his eyes. "Because daddy made a big mistake." Tristan and Bellamy then had blank expressions on their faces._

 **And then came the big moment**

 **Flashback-Popping the question**

 _He looked at the exact same spot where the ring landed. He knew there was no getting it back, but right now, he didn't have a care in the world. He didn't want to live that life anymore. He felt Serena's hand touch his shoulder._

 _"_ _I'm proud of you Ash. It looks like you have proven you are over her." She stated._

 _"_ _Yep. I have to stop living in the past and look forward to the future." He added._

 _"_ _It's good to see it that way." She took her hand off of his shoulder and placed it over her other one in her lap._

 _"_ _That chapter of my life is done…"_

 _"_ _And it's time I start the next."_

 _Ash reached in his right pocket and took out a small black box and got down on one knee, his right to be exact. Serena noticed this and faced him, her heart now started to race at a thousand miles per hour._

 _"_ _Serena… I love you to the moon and back. You and I go way back. We have a history together and I want that history to continue. I couldn't think of another girl I want to be next to for the rest of my life. So…"_

 _He opened the box with his left hand. "Serena… Will you marry me?"_

 _Serena felt like she was going to drop dead right then and there. Her heart was now racing at ten thousand miles an hour. Was this really happening? Did her longtime crush just propose to her? The World Champion? It felt like a dream, but it was anything but that. She covered her mouth with both of her hands, hardly being able to restrict a squeal. She had been waiting her whole life for this, and now it was actually happening. She couldn't hold it in any longer._

 _"_ _YES! YES! A MILLION TIMES YES!" She yelled, wanting the whole world to hear her happiness. She went up to him and hugged him, tears of joy flowing from her eyes and trickling down her scarlet cheeks. After about ten seconds of embracing, she let go of him. He stood up and took the ring out of the box and grabbed her left hand with his and slid the ring onto her finger. She held her hand out and looked at it so she could get a better look at it. It was beautiful. It had three diamonds on it and was about a quarter of an inch thick. He then cuffed both her cheeks with his hands and planted a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. She closed her eyes and let the kiss go on, wrapping her arms around his neck as he continued to kiss her. They didn't even care that they couldn't breathe, they both wanted this to last forever._

 **And then came the biggest moment of their lives**

 **Flashback-Wedding Day**

 _Five minutes later into the ceremony, the minister finally got to the part where the two of them would recite their vows._

 _"_ _Now, the bride and groom have written their vows and will now tell them to one another."_

 _Serena, being the bride, went first. "Back when you helped me in the forest at Summer Camp a long time ago, I had a feeling that you and me would end up together one day. You have always had a special place in my heart since that day. Day in and day out, you've made me laugh, you made me cry, you comforted me when I needed it most, and you made the bad times good." A few tears escaped as she continued. "My life would have never been the same now if you weren't in it. The day we met is the day life changed for me and I started seeing things differently. And now seeing that I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you, I now know we've changed history, and I'm ready for what we have planned for the future."_

 _Now it was Ash's turn. "Serena, from the day we met, I thought we were going to be great friends for life. But little did I know that we were going to be much more someday, and today proves that. When I was a kid, I most likely would have never been keen on the idea of romance, but I'm glad I changed. You are the one that opened up the door for me to get out there again, and I'm glad you helped me out. But after many, many years of being just friends, we became boyfriend and girlfriend, then engaged, and now… we're husband and wife. I'm glad my eyes finally opened to see that you were the one that was always there for me and always will be. I will say this… You could do a thousand times better than me… but I could never do a thousand times better than you."_

 _Now Serena was very touched by that last line. Although to her, it was the other way around. It's like to him, she was the only that should've been truly with him all along._

 _"_ _Okay, if there anyone that believes that these two should not be married, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace." The minister started. And since no one said anything, here came the golden words._

 _"_ _I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."_

 _Ash grabbed Serena's cheeks and leaned in and kissed her, much applause coming from the crowd. When Ash released from the kiss, the two held hands and walked halfway down the aisle. They stopped and Serena did the tradition of covering her eyes and tossing her bouquet behind her for one of the bridesmaids to catch. The fortunate one to catch it was Dawn, who as soon as she caught it, looked at Kenny who was sitting near the end of the front row of the right. Ash and Serena then continued and exited the room._

 **End of flashbacks**

It had indeed been a long journey that the two of them had been through for over two decades. All the way from their childhood to this, it was a beautiful thought to cherish. Childhood sweethearts they were, and childhood sweethearts they would be until the day they died.

"This is just another chapter in our lives…" Ash said.

"And many more to come." Serena added.

"What now, daddy?" Bellamy asked.

"Yeah, dad, what now?" Tristan asked.

Ash and Serena looked at the kids, then each other, and then at Julian, who had just fallen back to sleep.

"I'm wondering that too, honey. What is next for all of us?" Serena asked.

Ash continued smiling, knowing what the answer was.

"So much more." Ash answered.

Julian, who had just woken up once again, laughed at the conversation. The four of them looked at him, and all laughed as well. It had been a good time for all four of them.

They were all one big happy family, together forever.

 **Author's note:** Now that should wrap it up. Thank you all for supporting this story from the start. For those of you who came on a little later from the start, thank you as well. Actually, it doesn't matter when you came on, if you read this story, thank you so much! Your guy's ongoing support is what fueled me to complete this story (If I haven't said that before). Those of you who read and reviewed, you deserve a lot of thanks. For those of you who gave me kind and considerate words every so often, you gave me the inspiration and drive to go on. Believe me, it's not that easy writing a chapter and releasing it within one week's time, but hey, everyone's thoughts and support got my motors running. Well, that should finish my thankful words towards you, the readers. Oh, sorry if I forgot some of the words to a few of the flashbacks. I did the best I could at that. I knew I wouldn't get all of them, I just got what I could. That should finish up the words I had to say. But if you think that I was done right there, oh no, I've got a lot more to tell you guys before I close this story out for eternity. Cause remember, once I hit that "complete" button, there's no going back. Well hey, not like I would anyway. But hey, enough of that. Let me get to the first order of business and that is on my upcoming weeks.

Now that this story is done, I need some time to focus on working on my next story. If you want to know what it is, it's a little ways down but read the next couple of sections first before reading them. No no, don't skip down. I've actually got two more ideas that I'm going to be releasing in the future, but for the time being, I'm going to be working on my next one. And when it comes to my break, I've taken seven week breaks between stories but seeing as I've been working for most weeks of the past year, it's become a little exhausting for me, so I hate to tell you this, but this time around my break will most likely not be just seven weeks. I'm planning on taking a 10-14 week break this time around. I know, I hate to leave you guys hanging that long but a writer needs to take a nice long break every once in a while. But don't get me wrong, I'm not just going to sit around the house and do nothing for that long, I'm going to be working on my next story. My goal is during my break is that I want to have at least ten chapters done before I release the story so that way I won't feel stressed out before I release a chapter. So you will probably see me back in two months at the least, and three months at the most. I really don't want to leave you all waiting for me to be back, but I want to get some work done this time around. But hey, you never know, I might come back sooner than ten weeks, maybe seven weeks if I change my mind. I'll give it some thought, but just settle for a ten week minimum for now. So expect me to be back between March 17th and April 17th, or maybe the 17th of next month if I change my mind.

 **Author's note-2:** And now, for my next order of business, and probably the most important: It's time to thank you all. Yep, you all deserve to be thanked when it comes to this story being completed. And I'm going to thank every… single… one… of… you. I swear, I'm not going to leave anybody out. Whether you favorited, followed, reviewed, or all three, you're going to be mentioned.

1-Gave this story a favorite

2-Gave this story a follow

3-Gave this story a favorite AND a follow

4-Reviewed all/most chapters

5-Gave this story a favorite, follow, AND reviewed all/most chapters

 **7-Oliverqueen01-** Thanks for giving this story a read and being here for the ride. I'm glad you came back after Love You Now, Love You Always and gave this story a try. It was great talking WWE with you again and seeing what your thoughts were after each chapter. I'm glad I have you as one of my loyal readers and I hope you'll be back for my next story. But it's up to you if you want to read it. Again, thanks and I'll see you soon.

 **7-Mad Ass Dragon-** I was happy to see you back after reading both of my previous two stories. I love reading your reviews and I'm sorry for killing you with sweetness again. I'll never forgive myself for that. You being one of my loyal readers is something I'll be forever thankful for. Oh, and one more thing. Your review to the final chapter of Love You Now, Love You Always gave me the idea for the plot of this chapter. Again, thank you!

 **7-Brig nodrm2347-** Wow! Was I glad to see you reading one of my stories again. Reading your review for each of my chapters makes my day. I am grateful for you being a loyal reader of mine. I hope you like one or both of the ideas I have for future stories when you read them below. Thank you so much for the support and I hope you will be back in the next story. See you then!

 **7-TheAztecKing-** I'm glad you got on board. Just like Brig nodrm2347, reading your review for every chapter made my day, and you being hopeful for me becoming a writer someday only makes me happier. Your comments for this story and me possibly writing a future book stories is something I love to see as it only fuels me to become a writer even more. Thank you so much and I'll hope you'll be back reading my next story when it comes out.

 **7-Darkaura808-** You rock! Let me just say that right now. Glad you could join the ride and give this story a try. I thank you for leaving your thoughts and giving me the positivity I needed to get each chapter out, because getting a new chapter out every week is not easy for me but you are one of the people that help me get it out. Thank you so much and I hope you'll be back reading my next story, but it's up to you if you want to read it.

 **4-That one random guest-** Glad to see you back reading this story after reading both In or Out and Love You Now, Love You Always. I never thought I would have a guest as loyal as you. I hope you will be back for my next story and thank you so much! Since this story is over, the crossover will be updated more frequently than it has been, I promise you that.

 **7-Roger0326-** Thank you for being there with this story when it has been through the thick and thin. I am grateful for you leaving your thoughts after each chapter that you read. I hope you will be back for my next story but it is up to you if you want to read it. Again, thank you so much!

 **7-Espeon44-** Thank you again so much for giving one of my stories a read. It was good to see you back reading one and thank you for letting me be a part of your community.

 **7-Shadic4566-** I was happy to see you back giving this story a try. Thank you so much for leaving your thoughts and being a loyal reader. I hope you will read my next story when it comes out but it's totally up to you if you want to read it.

 **4-Wolves22 (Guest)-** I love the fact that you are a guest and that you are such a loyal reader. Much thanks are in your favor and I hope I will see you again reading one of my future stories.

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 **Author's note-3:** Thank you all for being here for the past three plus months. I had a blast writing this, and I hope you guys had a blast reading it. Now let's get to the next thing. I'm going to tell you what types of stories I would like to write for and types of stories I wouldn't give a second thought about writing for. For those of you who have read one or both of my last few stories would know what I've put at this part after the story part of the final chapter.

Types of stories/subjects/pairings I will be willing to write about

 **Humor:** I have never written a story that was mainly humor, but I would love to write one, if I ever came up with an idea. If you guys have any ideas of a humor based story that you would like to see, feel free to shoot me an idea and I will get right to it.

 **Adventure:** For me, an adventure story would be a challenge to make, but I'm always up to doing a challenge. And for an adventure fic, it would be longer than fifteen chapters. There'd actually be way more for that. If I were to ever write an adventure story, it probably wouldn't update weekly, but it would be updated at least two or three times a month. This would probably be a once every two years kind of project for me, but I am always open to the idea.

 **Pokeshipping:** I'm not that huge of a fan of this pairing, but it's a very popular one in the Pokemon universe, so if you want me to make a one-shot about it, give me a suggestion and I'll get right to it.

 **Advanceshipping:** This is probably my third favorite pairing in Pokemon. Ash and May are almost like each other so it would probably be easy to write about them. If you got something, tell me and I'll write it.

 **Pearlshipping:** This is my second favorite pairing behind Amourshipping. Ash and Dawn always seemed so close despite their occasional bickering, I heard this pairing is the most popular in Japan, and it seems very popular with the rest of the world, so I'd like to make a one-shot or multi-chapter story about it in the future.

 **Negaishipping:** Like most people, I'm not too keen in this pairing, mainly because of Iris' "You're such a kid" line, but for those of you who do like this pairing, I would make a story about it. Believe me, I would rather write about this pairing more than some others.

 **Abilityshipping:** Despite the fact that Anabel was only in two episodes out of the entire anime, I like this pairing a decent amount, since she is the only character other than Serena that has a canonical crush on Ash. I'd like to make a story about this pairing sometime.

 **Lagomorphshipping:** Out of all pairings that involve two Pokemon, I'd say this one is my favorite. I think it is adorable (Yeah, I think this, so what?). I think Pikachu and Buneary would make a good Pokemon couple, so if you want me to write a story about these two, let me know.

 **Pokemon x Pokemon:** I'd basically write for any Pokemon x Pokemon pairing. There aren't very many of these here on fanfiction and I've never read one before and it might be a challenge for me, but like I've said before, I like a good challenge, so if there is one of these you want me to write, go ahead and tell me.

The types of stories/subjects/pairings I will NOT write about, no matter what

 **Geekchicshipping:** I ABSOLUTELY EXTREMELY despise this pairing. When it comes to pairings involving Serena, I only support Amourshipping, nothing else. I like both Serena and Clemont as characters but I completely dread the idea of them as a couple. Just… no! It's a good thing this couple will never become canon. Please don't ask me to write a story about this pairing.

 **Yaoi or Yuri:** I don't like the idea of writing for a gay or lesbian pairing, but if you think I'm a homophobe, don't get me wrong, I'm not against homosexuality. I just wouldn't feel comfortable writing for a gay or lesbian pairing, especially for Pokemon. Come on, most of the characters are kids for crying out loud, that just doesn't seem right. So please don't ask me to write a story about either.

 **Lemon:** I'm not comfortable writing a lemon, and I'm not sure if I ever will be, so don't come to me asking me to write a lemon of any sort. I will never write a lemon about a Pokemon couple, especially for Amourshipping. Like I said before, most of the characters are kids, writing a lemon about kids would be too creepy. So yeah, no lemons.

 **Any combination of the two above:** Don't EVER come to me asking to make a yaoi or yuri lemon. I couldn't even get past one paragraph, let alone one sentence if I were to do so. I'd rather stick myself to a lemon juice covered cactus than write such a monstrosity. No homosexual lemons, ESPECIALLY for Pokemon characters. I can't stretch that enough. So yeah, don't ever ask me to make such a thing.

 **Yandere:** Yeah, I read one of these once, kind of freaked me out. I could never see myself writing one of these. I like to keep the characters as canonical to the anime as I can, so writing them as a total opposite of what they are would be too hard, challenging. This is actually one challenge I couldn't see myself doing. Just saying.

 **Human x Pokemon:** Okay, who in the hell would think this is a good idea? Who? I sure as hell don't. Who would think it's fine to write about a human being with a Pokemon? Don't you people think this could be regarded as bestiality, which I do not approve. So if you came to me asking me to make a story about this, here is my response: Not a chance in hell!

So here you have a general idea of what I will and will NOT write about. If you ever have an idea that you want to throw by me, come back here and look at this list or just look at my profile which will have types of stories/subjects/pairings that I would and wouldn't write about. Look at it first before making suggestions, because I would like to get more stories out there. I mean, I only have seven stories in four and a half years, and I'd like to entertain people some more here, so I'd like to contribute to the community. Remember, I always like to make someone's day.

 **Author's note-4:** Well, there is that section. But things don't end there, I've got one more thing to run by you people, and it's regarding my future stories. After In or Out was finished, I had two more stories lined up to make. Now that those two stories are done, I am moving on to other projects. For the majority of the run of this story, I had nothing else planned to do after this story was over other than continue working on my crossover fic, but I wanted to do more than that. But within the last month, I came up with two more ideas for stories, and they are two ideas I hope you guys will like and warm up to. If you want to know what they are, read on below, you're bound to like at least one of them.

 **The Part of You That Stayed Behind:** Ash, 28, is World Champion, is married to Serena, and has three kids. But one day, a couple of days after winning a battle against a tough competitor, someone claims that Ash used an illegal tactic in the battle and assumes Ash cheated in order to win, turning not almost his whole fanbase against him, but the entire world. After failing to convince everyone he didn't cheat, Ash says goodbye to his family and goes into hiding. Twenty four years later, he still hasn't returned. Serena and his kids are devastated, seeing as he's been in hiding for almost two and a half decades. Every day, Serena, now 52, sits at a park bench waiting for his return. While she waits, she tells other people the story of how Ash rose to fame and what transpired the days leading up to his disappearance.

 **Every Corner I Turn:** When she was ten, Serena gave up on her dream of being a performer and aimed to be a coordinator. Five years later, now 15, she is a star coordinator but is constantly encountered by the press, stressing her out. Not wanting to be bugged anymore by the press, she slightly alters her appearance and changes her name to Malina. But when that almost isn't enough, one day, fortunately, she runs into Ash. A day later, she asks Ash to help her in avoiding the paparazzi, who gladly accepts. But being out in public constantly and the fact that someone out there is suspicious that Serena really is "Malina", the task of avoiding the press is easier said than done.

These are the next two stories I have planned to write, and it is going to start with The Part of You That Stayed Behind. Like all three stories have been so far, they will each be fifteen chapters. Personally, these are two ideas I like, but if you guys don't like the idea of one or both of them, feel free to tell me, and I will seek other ideas for stories to write. With The Part of You That Stayed Behind, I had thought of in the past that I would never write a story featuring characters who are kids in the show and making them older, but I warmed up to the idea and this story proved otherwise, so if I can make one about young adult versions, I am more than willing to write one about them up in the middle-aged to senile years. And with Every Corner I Turn, I kind of liked the idea of Ash helping out Serena when fame becomes too much for her, seems like an original idea, but if it isn't, oh well, I want to make my own twist on it. So these will be my next two stories, but like I said before, if you don't like one or both, tell me and I will come up with other ideas.

Well that should just about do it. Thank you all for reading this story. I can't believe it's already been fifteen weeks since this all started. But you know what they say, when one door closes, another one opens, and by that I mean on to my next story. I will see you all in at least ten weeks, or seven if I change my mind. Once again, thank you all for being here to read Against All Odds. It's been one heck of a ride. I will see you all in The Part of You That Stayed Behind. Until then…

 **TDBigJ out!**

 **"** **Come on Bonnie! My inventions don't always blow up you know!"**

 **-Clemont, Under the Pledging Tree**


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